Afghanistan U-19 cricket team emerged as the new plate champions when they comfortably trounced Zimbabwe U-19 by five wickets in the plate final of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup at the Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium in Cox’s Bazar yesterday. Zimbabwe, opting to bat first, garnered a moderate 216-9 in 50 overs. In its pursuits, Afghanistan run down the target with 19 balls and five wickets in hands.
Thanks to the unbeaten hundred from Tariq Stanikzai and indefatigable fifty from Rashid Khan, fast-rising Afghanistan won the match quite comfortably. They proved their prowess both with bat and ball.
This Asian fast-rising team started very well with the ball as they took three top-order wickets in the space of 15 runs. Both openers walked back with duck. Thereafter, they kept taking wickets on regular intervals. That pegged Zimbabwe back and restricted them for 216.