In Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, New Zealand's Under-19s put their best foot forward as they coasted to an easy victory over Scotland in the quarterfinals of the Plate competition at the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
Three wickets from young Aucklander Ross ter Braak (3-24) and a well deserved late double from Otago's Nathan Smith (New Zealand's leading wicket-taker at the tournament with seven at 24.42) helped keep Scotland in check at 181 for nine off their 50 overs, then Mondiale Auckland Aces opener Glenn Phillips motored to 89 off just 40 balls to ensure the game was only ever going to go one way.
It took the young New Zealanders just 27 overs at the Sheik Kamal International Cricket Stadium Academy Ground to clinch the emphatic victory, Phillips showing no mercy as Scotland was washed away. His brutal knock included 11 fours and six sixes, and he was caught when he was surely just a few hits away from three figures.
The Scots had won the toss on a pitch that didn’t look to offer much to the the bowlers, and padded up. Despite a very accurate and nagging spell by Nathan Smith in the first period of the match, in which four catches were dropped off his bowling, Scotland made a steady start.
Neil Flack and Azeem Dar put on 37 for the opening wicket until Ross ter Braak made the breakthrough and claimed the first of his three wickets for the day. Owais Shah, who was eventually run out for a 66-ball 32, and Jack Waller kept the Scottish run rate ticking over in the middle of the innings, but struggled to free their arms as the tight bowling of Kiwi spinners Felix Murray (2-31 from 10) and Aniket Parikh (0-31 from 10) constricted them.
Scotland was in a pickle at 87 for four in the 31st over and Haris Aslam was their only batsmen at the end of the innings who had scored at better than a-run-a-ball, with his 21 from 19. Smith and ter Braak finished briskly and without fuss, for figures of 2-37 and 3-31 from their 10 overs respectively.
In reply, the maiden over bowled first up against the New Zealanders would have given the Scots a sense of hope, but this didn’t last long.
Man of the match Glenn Phillips produced another exciting knock. @ICC
Glenn Phillips very quickly set about getting the innings underway, smashing three boundaries in the second over. After middling his first shot, Phillips’s confidence skyrocketed as he carted the helpless Scottish bowlers all over Cox’s Bazaar, bringing up his half century after only 22 deliveries.
With his score on 89, and the team score on 98, man of the match Phillips finally mistimed a shot and was caught on the midwicket boundary. His 40-ball barrage included 11 fours and six sixes, and well and truly got the Kiwi innings off to an incredible start.
The tempo didn't much falter after this as each successive batsman continued the onslaught on a bowling attack that lacked accuracy and consistency. Even when Scotland's Mitchell Rao took out Daniel Stanley in the next over to move the score to 99 for two, the target of 182 seemed hardly defendable after such a blistering start from the Kiwis.
Christian Leopard (25), Josh Finnie (an unbeaten 30 from 29 balls) and Finn Allen (31 not out from 20 balls) all smashed sixes to bring the team’s tally for the day to a staggering 13 maximums!
Needless to say the Scottish total was achieved very quickly, with 23 overs still remaining and the winning runs ticked off with a six from Allen. Allrounder Alsam had added 2-37 from his eight overs to his handy effort with the bat, the only Scottish bowler to offer a little resistance.
Into the Plate Semi-Finals. @ICC
This win sees the New Zealand team through to the semi-final of the Plate Competition, where they will take on Afghanistan in Cox’s Bazar on 9 February at 4pm New Zealand time.
South Africa has meanwhile also won its quarterfinal to stay alive in the Plate competition, beating Ireland by eight wickets.
