Toss: Australia. Sam Konstas gone without scoring in LImbani's second over, bowled by a big inswinger after he was fortunate to survive a very adjacent looking lbw shout in the first. India turn to Pandey's left arm spin after a single over by Tiwari that went for 15. Musheer Khan with more left arm spin bowls the eighth and with India playing five spinners there's plenty more in store, five bowlers used in the first ten. Partnership between Dixon and Weibgen worth 58 at the 18th over Drinks break and it reaches 78 before Weibgen drives at Tiwari to backward point. One brings two as Dixon pops a catch up to short extra, deceived by a slower ball from Tiwari. Ryan Hicks and Harjas Singh have added a run-a-ball partnership to set things up for the last twenty overs of the innings. The return of Limbani sees Hicks trapped on the back foot and out lbw, that might slow Australia down a bit but Singh moves past 50, can he keep going? No is the answer! Gone lbw sweeping at Saumy Pandey - advantage India. Semi-final hero Raf MacMillan is c&b by Musheer Khan - Australia have 10 overs to bat and 4 wickets left. Make that 4 overs and 3 wickets as Charlie Anderson becomes Limbani's third victim, trapped lbw. Runs from Oliver Peake have carried Australia past 250 but wickets lost in the latter stages meant they were not able to push on towards a 280/300 total but they record the highest first innings total in an U19WC Final. Kulkarni edges Vidler to Hicks and Australia have their first wicket but Dixon drops Khan on nought, a straightforward chance at slip, that could be costly. Not greatly so in the end as he plays on in Beardman's first over. A second for Beardman as Indian skipper Uday Sarahan drives to backward point. All seam from Australia so far and it's working for them. First ball of spin accounts for Sachin Dhas as he edges MacMillan to keeper Hicks. Opener Singh still there of course but he's scoring at less than 50 per 100 and Australia might settle for that. Anderson has Priyanshu Moliya caught on the ring at mid-on. Half way and half the side out, India have a lot to do to get back into this. Aravelly chips back to MacMillan second ball and that hasn't helped! Singh's innings ends gloving a hook to Hicks and then MacMillan yorks Limbani - only one winner here but Murugan Abhishek is holding up the Australian celebrations. Not for too much longer though as a hook flies off the top edge out to point, a second wicket for Vidler. Finally it's Tom Staker who ends proceedings inducing an edge from Pandey to give Hicks his fourth catch in the game. Australia deserved winners dominating all aspects of the game.

Toss: Australia. Shahzaib Khan given not out down the leg side in the second over - replays showing that if it hit anything it certainly wasn't his hip! Shamyl Hussain dropped in the Gully in the third - a tough leaping high one handed chance but top edges a Pull off Tom Straker to square leg. Callum Vidler ends Khan's 30 ball ordeal as he drives a wide to Weibgen in the Gully, gone for just 4 runs. Saad Baig survives a chance to slip off Straker, another high leaping chance. A struggle for Pakistan at the moment, all seam from Australia in the first hour. No escape for Baig this time, a straightforward edge to slip gives Straker his second wicket. Off-spinner Raf MacMillan gets his first Ahmad Hasan lbw. Beardman bowls Haroon Arshad with the final ball of the 28th over - half the side out for less than 80. Arafat Minhas and Azan Awais finally start to get some momentum into the innings with a much needed partnership. Can Pakistan get to 200 - 68 off the last 10 overs needed to get there. But two balls later Awais goes steering Straker to keeper Hicks before Minhas completes his half century and is out for a similar score. Two wickets in his final over means Tom Straker finishes with a six-for, can Pakistan's Ubaid Shah match that? Steady start by the Aussies but the breakthrough comes the fiirst ball after the powerplay with Kontas bowled by Raza. This could be a nervy one. A flurry of wickets sees three fall in quick succession. Pakistan on top now. It's a half century for Harry Dixon whose stand with Oliver Peake is 43 and counting. The balance of power tilts back towards the Aussies with this 5th wicket stand. Of course, commentators curse as Dixon is bowled. Evens stevens. Sixth wicket stand of 44 has Australia in charge but a second wicket for Arafat Minhas shows Pakistan won't go down quietly. The wicket of Peake could hold the key to the winners as he nears his half century. Sorry Oliver - curse strikes again as he is bowled for 49. Who is your money on? 19 needed with 6 overs and 3 wickets left. The 8th falls with 16 needed. Squeaky bum time. Raza strikes again three balls later for his fourth - still 16 needed but now with the last pair at the wicket. Huge shout for lbw turned down with 6 needed. Followed by a two and a single. It's very tense, not helped by a delay for a boot problem. So. we always knew it would go the last over. Three needed. Time for a hero. Raf MacMillan is that hero - lucky though as Chinese cut goes all the way. Aussies jubilant, Pakistan distraught.

Toss: India. Chasing a total will be a new experience for India as they have batted first in all their games to date, never scoring less than 250. Limbani strikes in the fifth over with Steve Stolk edging behind after hitting him for a huge six. A second for Limbani with big seam movement back through Teeger's defence. Left arm spinner Saumy Pandey into the attack and immediately extracts spin and bounce - could be a handful on what is a very dry pitch. Fifty up for Pretorius who's mixing attack and defence as Indian go through their bowling line up, seven used inside the first 25 overs. Pretorius out to a stunning reflex catch at short midwicket after a few tight overs from India. South Africa struggling to get on top of the Indian spinners heading towards the final ten overs - the departure of Pretorius has put the brakes on the scoring rate. Whitehead slices high to cover to give Khan his second wicket with exactly ten overs left in the innings as Seletswane raises his half-century. Acceleration in the final overs with Luus taking 15 of the fiftieth sees the hosts post 244 - Game on. Sourth Africa's leading wicket-taker Kwena Maphaka strikes first ball Ardash Singh caught behind. Pace and bounce from Tristan Luus accounts for Musheer Khan who steers a catch to James at second slip. Action replay as Kulkarni goes the same way. Indian in uncharted waters here as their middle order gets an early call to the crease. A fifth wicket stand of 171 got them very much back on track with Sachin Dhas top-scoring with 96, and skipper Uday Saharan making 81. There were a few wobbles as the finishing line approached, but the tournament favourites survived the scare to win by two wickets with 7 balls left.

Toss: Bangladesh. This could be a low scoring encounter, slow going for Pakistan against their neighbours at the moment and wickets falling at reuglar intervals. In the end a below par total for them but I can't imagine they will make the chase for Bangladesh an easy one. To qualify for the Super Sixes they need to win in 38.1 overs which makes it even more interesting. This has become a game within a game. Such pressure on young shoulders. In a nailbiting finish it's Pakistan who prevail by just five runs with Ubaid Shah the hero with a five wicket haul. Quite a game.

Toss: Zimbabwe. Hamza Shaikh has been given out obstructing the field for picking up a stationary ball and handing it to keeper Ryan Kamwemba who immediately appealed - Disgraceful!! Theo Wylie looked like he might make them pay for that decision but finally Zimbabwe hold onto a catch. England will hope their 237 is enough for their first win of the SuperSixes, I expect they will be pretty fired up when Zimbabwe start the chase. Laft arm spinner Barnard has two in an over and pressure on Zimbabwe already. Two Googlies from Tazeem Ali bowl Kamwemba and Eksteen and it's five down for 50. And Ali is all over the batters here, three more gives him a five-for, no one can pick him - unplayable! He finishes with seven wickets as England blow Zimbabwe away by 146 runs.

Toss: Ireland. Neill and Hunter added 43 for the first wicket with Hilton and Roulston carrying on the good work after Ireland chose to bat, 134/2 at the halfway stage. Partnership now worth 128 as they reach 180 for 2 as drinks are taken at 35 overs. Can they reach 300 by taking 8 an over from the last 15? An emphatic NO - as Ewald Schreuder takes 3 wickets in an over. It's get whatever we can and hope to defend it for the Boys in Green now. And they've done well - 134/2 in the first 25 and 133/7 in the second, hopefully it shouldn't be a straightforward chase for the Kiwis. Cautious start to the chase against tight bowling from Reuben Wilson and Ollie Riley who makes the breakthrough in his fourth over. Great pressure from the Ireland bowlers - can they keep it up? Second wicket falls thanks to a run out. Ireland doing well to get the required rate climbing. Can they chip away at the wickets column? The answer is yes, for now, as Olly Riley takes a c&b for his second, followed by a third. Harry Dyer then takes a wicket just before thunder, rain and lightning sees the game abandoned with Ireland 41 ahead on DLS. A famous first win against New Zealand in any format for an Irish side. A record high 8th place finish too. Well done all.

Scotland's day did not start as they had hoped, losing the early wickets of Adi Hegde and Alec Price in the early stages. Hegde became the first casualty, succumbing to a splendid delivery by Jack Brassell in the second over. The ball sharply rose from the length, leaving Hegde to awkwardly prod an edge straight to the keeper Johannes Visagie behind the stumps. Junior Kariata joined in on the action in the very next over as Price's clumsy attempt at a pull shot found the top edge into the hands of Du Plessis running in from third. Scotland found themselves in a precarious situation, but once more Jamie Dunk and captain Owen Gould teamed up to steer them out of trouble - much like they had done in their previous match against hosts South Africa. The pair made a subdued start to their partnership with fielding restrictions in place - the Powerplay fetching only two boundaries. It wasn’t until the 14th over that the shackles were broken when Gould expertly dispatched two boundaries off the bowling of Zacheo van Vuuren. The floodgates opened thereafter with Dunk too getting in on the act with consecutive boundaries off Hanro Badenhorst. Just as the partnership started to look dangerous for Namibia, the wily spin of Peter-Daniel Blignaut brought the breakhrough. While trying to maintain the aggression, Gould's (35) swipe was misjudged, and the ball popped up to Junior Kariata at short third. Uzair Ahmad joined Dunk at the crease and ensured that the wicket did not derail the innings, making his intent clear by striking the second ball of his innings to the boundary rope. The next three overs saw a boundary being scored in each, while Dunk reached a much-deserved half-century off 66 balls. After a flurry of boundaries, Gerhard Janse van Rensburg and Blignaut regained some control to keep the Scottish pair quiet. As the boundaries dried up, Scotland were compelled to attack, which resulted in both the set batters Dunk (76) and Ahmad (36) falling in a space of four overs. After sending half the Scottish side back to the pavilion with 13 overs to go, Namibia initially had the upper hand but were pushed back by the Bahadar Esakhiel show. Esakhiel got going with a six, nailing a pull shot behind square for the first maximum of Scotland’s innings. More boundaries followed, setting up a big finish in the final two overs. Esakhiel dispatched Janse van Rensburg for two boundaries in the penultimate over and brought up his fifty off 48 balls. The final over saw more fireworks with the 18-year-old smashing Van Vuuren for four maximums. The pacer erred in his line, and Esakhiel cleverly manoeuvred across the stumps to deposit each maximum behind square in almost identical fashion. The late fireworks propelled Scotland to 251/6. Like Scotland, Namibia too faltered early on in their innings. The first six overs only fetched 11 runs, leading to a rash dive from Johannes de Villiers, who managed to edge the ball off Ibrahim Faisal to second slip. Faisal struck once more in his next over, removing Van Rensburg with Alec Price once again making a smart catch at slipl The Eagles’ resurgence began after the end of the Powerplay with Van Vuuren taking the attack to Nikhil Koteeswaran with consecutive boundaries. However, Scotland bowlers continued to keep Namibia at bay with brilliant bowling. Namibia too adopted a cautious approach, accumulating occasional boundaries without taking undue risks to preserve their wickets. Gradually, the partnership between Visagie and Van Vuuren flourished, and Visagie reached a well-paced fifty with a boundary. The third-wicket stand was worth 115 runs when Hegde bowled a brilliant arm-ball to break through and remove Visagie for 69. With the required rate surpassing 7 runs per over and 15 overs remaining, Van Vuuren and captain Alex Volschenk unleashed big shots. The duo added 60 runs swiftly, during which Van Vuuren reached his fifty. The aggressive approach led to the downfall of Volschenk, who was caught in the deep while attempting to clear the boundary against Qasim Khan. One wicket brought two for Qasim as Brassell, unable to capitalize on a tempting full-toss, mis-hit into the hands of mid-off. Needing 38 off the final three overs, Blignaut eased some nerves in the Namibian dugout with a four to start the over off. The penultimate over began in similar fashion, with the 18-year-old bringing out two audacious shots for four. Assigned the task of limiting Namibia to 16 runs in the last over, Ibrahim Faisal, despite conceding a couple of boundaries which included five wides from the fourth ball, displayed remarkable composure in the crucial moments of the game. With six required off three balls, the right-arm pacer only gave away two runs while accounting for the wicket of Van Vuuren (86) as Scotland won by three runs.

Toss: India. Tournament favourites India overcame an early wobble at 62 for 3 to once again get close to 300. A fourth wicket stand of 215 between top scorer Sachin Dhas 116, and skipper Uday Saharan restored normality and they will be confident they have more than enough in the bank to secure another win. Nepal started the chase brightly being 65 for 1 at one stage before Saumy Pandey and Arshin Kulkarni inspired a batting collapse. There was some late order resistance but too little, much too late. Very respectable effort by Nepal but India march on relentlessly into the semi-final where they will take some stopping.

Toss: West Indies. This game could well be another close contest with Australia recovering from 87 for 5 to post 227 for 8. That was thanks primarily to a brilliant 108 from Sam Kontas (11 fours, 1 six), who shared a sixth wicket stand of 89 with Raf MacMillan (29). Nathan Edward (3-32) and Isai Thorne (2-50) were the pick of the West Indies' attack. Just 4.3 overs were possible in the second innings as the Windies lost two early wickets before the heavens opened - a point apiece enough for Australia to make the semi-finals.

Toss: Sri Lanka. The hosts post what looks like a par total thanks to a hard hit 71 from Lhuan Pretorius that included ten fours and what could be an important 41 not out by Riley Norton. An inspired spell by Kwena Maphaka (6-21) saw the paceman blow away the top-order, followed by four wickets for Riley Norton (4-28) meant an emphatic 119-run margin much to the delight of the home faithful. That could well be enough for a semi-final berth depending on how the West Indies fare in their ongoing clash with Australia, but the win ensures that England cannot make the semifinals.

In the first of two 13th-16th place playoffs held in Benoni, Afghanistan opted to bowl first against the USA. However, they struggled to make an early breakthrough as Prannav Chettipalayam and Siddharth Kappa played cautiously during the initial Powerplay. Chettipalayam decided to up the ante in the 11th over, smashing back-to-back fours off Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar. Nevertheless, the tide turned with the introduction of skipper Naseer Khan, who immediately made an impact. The left-arm spinner managed to trap Kappa in front of the stumps for 12, breaking the opening partnership. In his third over, he struck again, this time dismissing Chettipalayam, who handed a simple catch back to the spinner, ending his innings at 33.Soon after, Aryaman Suri attempted a sweep shot off Arab Gul Momand but was adjudged LBW, leaving USA struggling at 68 for 3. Afghanistan then turned to Ghazanfar, who had gone wicketless in his previous five overs, with the aim of not allowing the USA batters to settle down. This strategy paid off as the enigmatic spinner left Rishi Ramesh clueless, bowling him with a delivery that went with the angle. In his next over, Ghazanfar had Manav Nayak caught at mid-on for 12 runs, thanks to a leading edge. Utkarsha Srivastava once again assumed the role of anchor for USA, a role he had played on several occasions during this tournament. However, in the 39th over of the match, Faridoon Dawoodzai made a crucial impact by taking two wickets in quick succession. He removed Amogh Arepally and Utkarsha Srivastava, dealing a significant blow to USA's batting efforts. USA's innings concluded at a total of 148, as Afghanistan's bowling unit put on an impressive display in Benoni. Ghazanfar was the pick of Afghanistan’s bowlers, finishing with figures of three for 30. Afghanistan's hope of effortlessly chasing the target was quickly shattered as USA's new-ball bowlers, Arya Garg and Ateendra Subramanian,made a significant impact by taking two wickets within the first two overs of the innings. Garg struck again, dismissing Sohail Khan Zurmati, leaving Afghanistan reeling at 11 for three.A partnership gradually took shape as Jamshid Zadran and captain Naseer Khan worked to rebuild Afghanistan's innings. However, Subramanian returned to the attack and removed Zadran for 23. Another promising partnership was interrupted a few overs later when Numan Shan was bowled by Subramanian. With the USA consistently taking wickets, Afghanistan's scoring rate declined, making the run-chase more intriguing. Aaryan Batra delivered a crucial blow when he dismissed Naseer for 39, with Afghanistan yet to cross the three-figure mark. Ghazanfar was run out by a direct hit from cover just two overs later, leaving Afghanistan in a trouble at 104 for seven. However, a pivotal eighth-wicket partnership between Arab Gul Momand and Rahimullah Zurmati injected excitement into the contest during the death overs. Despite the tight bowling from Subramanian, Garg, and Khush Bhalala, the Afghan duo held their ground and pushed the game to the final over. Requiring four runs off four balls, Momand played a remarkable slog sweep off Bhalala, sending the ball sailing over mid-wicket for a six, securing a thrilling victory for Afghanistan. Zurmati's unbeaten 37 and Momand's crucial 23 were the driving forces behind Afghanistan's remarkable turnaround. Their unbeaten partnership of 47 runs ultimately steered Afghanistan to victory in a challenging run-chase. Subramanian was the pick of the USA bowlers, taking three for 20 in his 10 overs. Afghanistan skipper Naseer Khan stated that it was a tough tournament for the team in the post-match presentation.

South Africa cruised to a 9-wicket win with a totally dominant display against Zimbabwe. Five wickets for Kwena Maphaka and three for Tristan Luus seeing the Chevrons skittled for 102, with only Ronak Patel (32) and Ryan Kamwemba (24) offering any resistance. Chasing such a modest target, the hosts took advantage to improve their NRR, with Luhan Pretorius (53*) and Steve Stolk (37) adding an opening stand of 86 in the powerplay on their way to a crushing victory.

Bangladesh were set what could have been a nervy 170 target after four wickets for Borson and three for Jibon saw Nepal bowled out for 169 - a half century for Bikram KC and 31 for Dev Khanal. An aggressive chase saw both Islam and Alam score half centuries at better than a run-a-ball. Subhash Bhandari did his best by claiming five wickets, but the win was secured just past the midway point of the innings.

Left-arm spinner and all-rounder Theo Wylie came into the side and delivered for England with a remarkable four-wicket haul, effectively stalling Australia's charge in Kimberley after England chose to put them in to bat during the Super Six fixture of the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024. Australia's key batters, Hugh Weibgen and Harry Dixon, displayed their prowess, with Weibgen scoring a stunning century to capitalise on his excellent form in the tournament. Following the early loss of Sam Konstas to Sebastian Morgan in the very first over, Dixon and Weibgen combined forces to construct a solid partnership at a commendable pace. It was the introduction of Wylie, the seventh bowler used by England by the 19th over, that finally provided the breakthrough they needed. The left-arm spinner removed the well-set Dixon for 53 with the slog-sweep being caught at deep mid-wicket. England enjoyed double success in the same Wylie over when wicketkeeper Jack Carney took a terrific catch to dismiss Harjas Singh. Weibgen and Ryan Hicks then worked to revive the Australian innings, but England's spinners once again proved effective. Leg-spinner Tazeem Ali, who had been consistently outstanding for England throughout the tournament, cleaned up Hicks for 19, breaking a threatening partnership. Wylie delivered a crucial blow by dismissing the dangerous Tom Campbell before he could inflict much damage. However, Weibgen found the support he needed from Oliver Peake. The two combined to compile a partnership of 66 runs in just 44 balls, boosting Australia's scoring rate.Weibgen, the skipper, reached an impressive century during this partnership and was only dismissed in the 48th over when Wylie struck for the fourth time. In the final few overs, Raf Macmillan and Peake added a few more runs, including 20 runs off the last over, allowing Australia to finish on a total of 266 for six.In response, Callum Vidler propelled Australia into a commanding position with an exceptional spell during the Powerplay. The pacer dismissed Wylie, who was opening the batting, in his first over, and later cleaned up the aggressive Ben McKinney just after the England captain had hit him for a six. Hamza Shaikh and Noah Thain fell victim to short deliveries as Vidler claimed his fourth wicket within his first five overs, reducing England to a precarious 60 for four. Unfortunately, play was halted due to rain and lightning immediately after this, leading to the players leaving the field. When play resumed, England’s revised target was 215 in 24 overs. Things unravelled quickly when Tom Straker and Macmillan ran through the middle and lower-order post the break. From 60 for four, England were down to 75 for seven. Charlie Allison nailed a few big hits, but Straker and Macmillan kept going, reducing England to nine down in 16 overs before Campbell took the final wicket to bowl England out for 106. With a massive 110-run win (by DLS method), Australia start off their Super Six stage with a huge win. They take on West Indies next on Friday while England will play Zimbabwe a day after. Australia, with six points, are now at the top of Group 2 standings of the Super Six stage.

Toss: New Zealand. Half centuries for Ardash Singh and Musheer Khan set India on their way to another big total with Khan going on to record his second century of the Tournament, adding to the 118 he scored against Ireland. Disaster for New Zealand who lost two wickets in the first over of their reply to Limbani's pacey inswing. Two more in rapid succession for left-arm spinner Pandey ensured that there would be no way back into the game for the Kiwis. A huge defeat for New Zealand that does tremendous damage to their NRR which is now the worst in the Group.

Toss: Sri Lanka. Two early wickets for Nathan Edward but Sri Lanka consolidated and made steady progress as they approached the half way stage of the innings. Runs down the order got them to a total that their spinners would have hoped to defend but they could not make decisive inroads to the Windies order, with Wedderburn the stand out. When the breakthrough came it was too late and Nathan Sealy eased the Windies home with three balls to spare.

Toss: Pakistan. Ireland struggling to get going after being asked to bat by Pakistan with the top five all gone inside 20 overs. What can Ireland manage from here? The Hundred up with McNally and Dyer doubling the score for the seventh wicket from a precarious 63/6 and that has given the bowlers something to work with - hope springs eternal. A wicket for each of Ireland’s opening seamers, Wilson and Riley, and three from off spinner Harry Dyer reduced Pakistan to 96/5 before a 63 run partnership between Hussain and Arshad eased them close to the win. Jordan Neil broke that partnership and Dyer claimed his fourth as the tension mounted but Ahmad Hassan saw Pakistan home with an unbeaten half century. Could have so different without that disastrous start to the Ireland innings - a win today would have seen them jump into third place in the group after New Zealand’s heavy defeat.

Toss: USA. India seemingly cruising to another big score after being gifted first use of the pitch. Century partnership between Kulkarni and Khan at just better than a run-a-ball. Things can only get worse for the USA. No century for Musheer Khasn this time but Kulkarni collects his off 110 balls (8x4, 3x6). Time for someone else to get a net? - Yes it is, as 'shot-a-ball' tactics costs Sarahan his wicket slicing high to point and Kulkarni slaps one to long off. Three hundred is way beyond anything that USA could hope to chase so it will be batting practice for them and bowling practice for India after the break. Wickets for each of the Indian seamers in their opening overs. States opting for respectability and a battling 40 by Utkarsh Srivastava has given them that in the first half of the reply. He is the third wicket of Naman Tiwari quickly followed by his fourth and the only question is the margin of victory. The final margin is 201 runs - the same as the Indian win over Ireland. There will be sterner tests ahead for the tournament favourites.

Toss: Sri Lanka. Two wickets for Callum Vidler and one for Tom Campbell had Sri Lanka in trouble at 54/3 before de Silva and Kalupahana added 40 together by the halfway stage but it proved hard to accelerate from there and Australia seem to have matters under control with each of their six bowlers claiming at least one wicket. A quickfire 49 from Harry Dixon (5x4,2x6) sets Australia on its way in the chase. But two wickets by Vishwa Lahiru has the contest in the balance. However, a half century from Ryan Hicks puts his team in control and they just need 20 from the last 5 overs with 6 wickets in hand. Hicks and Tom Campbell time chase to perfection as the aussies win with seven balls to spare.

Toss: Afghanistan

Toss: Zimbabwe. Not a great total from Namibia who found it tough going on this pitch. Could be another low scoring thriller here. Steady progress by Zimbabwe though has them halfway to their total - 73 for 1 after 17 overs.100 up as low risk strategy paying handsome dividends. Second wicket falls after a stand of 101, but too little, too late with just 25 needed. In the end a routine 8-wicket win for Zimbabwe that seals their Super 6s spot.

Toss New Zealand. Ireland's first opponents in the Super 6s next Tuesday will be the winners of this encounter and it looks like they can make plans to face Pakistan who bowled out the KIwis for only 140 and have set off at a gallop in the chase. An emphatic 10-wicket win with half centuries for Shahzaib Khan (80*), and Shamyl Hussain (54*). Things not going to get any easier for Pete Johnston's side - another daunting task awaits them.

Toss: South Africa. Nineties from Owen Gould and Jamie Dunk knocked the wind from the sails of the hosts. The hosts noticeably less chirpy in the field as the Scots total mounted. Quite a challenge for South Africa ahead. But Steve Stolk has thumped 5 sixes and 5 fours to bring up his half century from 14 balls in just the fourth over. Carnage continues as the 100 is up in the 8th over. Finally, Scotland get a breakthrough in the 9th over that ends the opening stand on 114. And a second for Nikhil Koteeswaran sees the dangerous Stolk back in the hutch. A glimmer of hope although after 11 overs SA are past halfway to their target. The hosts now 3 down as the Scots continue to battle despite the quick scoring assault. 200 up with 3 still down - rate over 10 an over. Been merciless on anything loose. In the end a dominant win by the hosts. Scotland would have been full of hope at halfway but simply hit out of contention. South Africa leapfrog both the West Indies and England to finish top of the group.

Toss: USA. Bangladesh dominated the game thanks to a century from Ariful Islam that enabled them to post an impressive total of 291/7. The USA never really got going, indeed they never looked like they intended to get going, settling for occupation of the crease rather than taking any sort of risk. Credit to them for surviving into the 48th over, and they will draw some satisfaction from that, next up for them table toppers India.

Toss: West Indies. A bit of a struggle for England against tidy bowling by the Windies. Wickets shared amongst their frontline five bowlers. Would be an upset if the Windies chase this down but they've given themselves a chance with that display in the field. It was nervy but the West Indies have pulled off the chase. Great result for them.

Toss: Australia: A powerful batting display from Australia who were past 200 before the fall of their fourth wicket. Inevitably they lost a few more in the push towards 300 that featured a breezy 47* from Tom Campbell (5x4, 2x6). Zimbabwe lost their first two wickets before a run was on the board and from then it was all Australia. The only resistance came from Ronak Patel but the introduction of Hirkirat Bajwa saw the tail demolished and Australia winners by a massive 225 runs.

Two wickets for Clontarf's John McNally has Ireland right in the contest as India reach 80 for 2 at the 20-over mark. India though content to lay a platform as they continue to go at 4 an over. 134 for 2 after 32 overs and on course for a total of well over 200. Signs India looking to go up through the gears as we approach the 40 overs mark with both players having made half centuries and the stand nears 100. Can the Irish hold their discipline when the inevitable assault comes? The first six of the innings brings up the 100 stand from 120 balls. India 182 for 2 after 40 overs. The Irish fielding and bowling struggling as the pressure is applied - stand now worth 151 as 49 scored between overs 41 and 44. Finally, a breakthrough for Finn Lutton with Forkin taking an easy catch at short fine leg - the third wicket had added 156. Runs continue to flow as Musheer Khan reaches a run-a-ball 100 (7 fours, 3 sixes). Khan's innings ended on 118, run out by Macbeth/Hunter as he tried to come back for a second to long on. Riley gets his first wicket two balls later as Hunter takes good catch from skied slash. Riley takes his second and third wickets in the final over, but India already past 300. A whopping 119 came in the last 10 overs. Ouch. Ireland will do well to get anywhere close. You suspect it will all be about respectability. Slow left-armer Pandey immediately has the ball spinning past Neill's defence and into the off stump. Hunter bounced out caught at square leg hooking at Tiwari and a second for him in the over with le Roux edging behind. More success for Tiwari as Macbeth cuts to backward point. Pandey spins one past Cosgrave who stretches and is stumped, McCullough lbw first ball and can it get worse? Yes as Hilton drags Tiwari on - eight down and not past 50! A 9th wicket stand of 39 between Olly Riley and Daniel Forkin adds a little bit of respectability, but it's scant consolation for what has been a hammering. Forkin finishes on 27 not out as Ireland dismissed for exactly 100 - beaten by a mammoth 201 runs.

Toss: Namibia. Namibia's bowlers will not be pleased after their batting counterparts let a golden chance to beat a full member slip through their fingers today in Kimberley. Namibia captain Alexander Busing-Volschenk won the toss and chose to bowl first at the Diamond Oval. Sri Lanka mostly struggled against Namibia's bowlers, with Zacheo van Vuuren taking 4-23 and Johannes de Villiers taking 3-19. Supun Waduge was the sole bright spot in the Sri Lankan innings, scoring an unbeaten 56 out of the Sri Lankan total of 133. However, Namibia's batters were unable to chase down their low total, with the top eight all out for single finger scores as they collapsed to 25-8. Numbers 9 and 10 Hanro Badenhorst and Peter-Daniel Blignaut were able to reach double figures, but that wasn't enough and Namibia were bowled out for 56, losing by 77 runs. Namibia's final group stage match will be on Saturday against Zimbabwe, whilst Sri Lanka next play on Sunday against Australia.

Toss: Nepal. Nepal were one of three associates in action today in South Africa at the men's Under-19 World Cup, and unfortunately all three lost, with Nepal falling to a five wicket defeat at the hands of Pakistan in East London. Nepal won the toss at Buffalo Park and chose to bat first. A few Nepali batters were able to get starts, but their top score was Bipin Rawal's 39 as they scored 197 from their 50 overs, the final wicket falling from the final delivery. Arafat Minhas was the pick of Pakistan's bowlers with 3-23. Pakistan started their chase with an 80 run opening partnership between Shamyl Hussain and Shahzaib Khan, who both fell in quick succession in the 22nd over, both for matching scores of 37. Both fell to Aakash Chand, who took one more wicket to briefly make things interesting, but Pakistan rounded out winners in straightforward fashion with Azan Awais scoring an unbeaten 63 to secure the five wicket win. Nepal's next game will be against a struggling Afghanistan side on Friday, whilst Pakistan round out their first round campaign on Saturday against New Zealand.

Toss: West Indies. Scotland's men's Under-19 World Cup campaign still hasn't got going as they lost again today in Potchefstroom, by five wickets to the West Indies. West Indies captain Stephan Pascal won the toss and chose to bowl first at Senwes Park, with Scotland's openers Jamie Dunk and Adi Hegde putting on 89, but taking their time to do it, with Hedge the first man out at the end of the 22nd over having scored 32. Dunk reached 57 before he was the next man out, with Alec Price contributing 31. There were no other contributions of note in the Scotland innings and they scored 205-9 from their 50 overs, with Isai Thorne taking 4-46. West Indies found the going tricky in the early stages of their reply, with the top three all out within the first nine overs. At 111-5 in the 17th over, the game was looking evenly balanced. However, that was the end of the wicket taking for the Scottish attack as Jewel Andrew and Nathan Edward added an unbroken 95 to secure the five wicket win. Andrew was top scorer with 64 from 60 balls. Scotland's next game will be against South Africa on Saturday, whilst West Indies are next in action against England on Friday.

Toss: England.

Toss: Afghanistan.

Toss: Australia. A real struggle for Namibia with the bat with only Zacheo van Vuuran, skipper Alex Busing-Volschenk and Hanro Badenhorst managing double figures. But Australia not having it all their own way in the chase, runs coming but wickets falling and half the side out for 57 before Aussie skipper Hugh Weibgen steered his side to the win.

Toss: Bangladesh. The Bangladesh spinners are lining up to bowl on this pitch! Lots in it for them and lots of nervous laughter and head shaking from the batters. Few risk free options on offer for them. Fifty for Kian Hilton, excellent in tough circumstances, survived a straightforward chance to fine leg but has not let himself be tied down. Total building - can they push on in the last ten overs of the innings? No is the answer as Macbeth holes out to deep mid-wicket to end a 81 run partnership. No century for Hilton as he picks out long on in the penultimate over, frustrated that he had missed out on a few opportunities in the previous few deliveries. A terrific knock that has given Ireland a chance of an upset. A comfortable start from the Bangladesh openers who look untroubled by the Irish seamers who don't seem to be posing much of a threat, time for spin? Not yet it seems!!! McNally takes the ball for the tenth over. Spin at last - McCullough to bowl the eleventh over, and spin from both ends now as Macbeth joins the attack but not the fizz from either that was evident when Bangladesh were bowling. That didn't last long just the one over from Macbeth and left arm seamer Matthew Weldon takes the ball and makes the breakthrough, Siddik edging through to Hunter, opening partnership worth 90. Two wickets for Macbeth having Shibli lbw and Ariful Islam stumped. Momentum shifts with a wicket for McNally - can Ireland keep the pressure on? No is the answer - Bangladesh having no problem keeping the score ticking along and Amin and James added an unbroken 109 for the fifth wicket to see their side to a comfortable victory.

Toss: Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka found the going tough with the Zimbabwe opening attack extracting pace and bounce from the Kimberly pitch. From 12 for 3 in the fifth over and with half the side out for 88, they were rescued by an 80 run sixth wicket partnership between Kalupahana (41) and keeper Shanmuganathan (60), finally bowled out in the 49th over for a modest 204. Zimbabwe struggled to get going in the chase as it became ‘trial by spin’. Sri Lanka well armed in that regard and no surprise that Slow left-armer Lahiru picked up two wickets and leg-spinner Tharupathi claimed four.

Toss: New Zealand. A magnificent unbeaten 147 by Snehith Reddy was the highlight of an imposing New Zealand total of 302/8. Reddy and Kiwi skipper Oscar Jackson added 157 for the fourth wicket as the Nepali bowlers struggled to contain their more experienced opponents. New Zealand not letting Nepal into the game, tidy bowling with five bowlers sharing the wickets. An excellent lone hand from Arjun Kamal who fell for 90 the highlight of the Nepal innings in a game they were never destined to win.

Pakistan skipper Saad Baig won the toss and elected to bat first. A steady start from Shahzaib Khan and Shamyl Hussain saw Pakistan end the first Powerplay with all ten wickets in the bank. Right-arm pacer Khalil Ahmed helped Afghanistan make early breakthroughs, removing the set Shamyl (17) and Azan Awais (5) in successive overs. Saad Baig took charge thereafter, hitting an aggressive 55 from 52. The knock included four sixes off Afghanistan tweakers, even as Pakistan gained a substantial foothold in the middle-overs. The third-wicket stand between Baig and Shahzaib added 92 runs from 90 balls, and saw the latter also free his arms after a sedate start. Saad eventually fell to the impressive Allah Mohammad Ghanzafar, cleaned up when trying to take on the bowler. Another wicket followed soon after, and Afghanistan sensed a way back. However, a fighting stand between Shahzaib and Muhammad Riazullah brought the Boys in Green back into the game. Despite losing regular wickets in the last 10 overs, Pakistan added 84 runs to finish at a strong total. Shahzaib finished with the second century of the tournament, hitting 10 fours and three sixes in his 106. Khalil starred for Afghanistan with 4/51. The young Pakistanis got going with the ball early in their innings. Amir Hassan and Ubaid Shah dominated the proceedings by picking three Afghanistan wickets. Ubaid’s scalp included Hassan Eisakhil (19), who had gotten off to a good start with four boundaries to his name. At the end of the 10-over mark, Afghanistan were struggling at 44/3. In the second Powerplay, Pakistan pacers continued their attacking lines and complemented them with smart pace variations to run through the Afghanistan lineup. Along with Ubaid, Mohammad Zeeshan ran through Afghanistan's middle and lower order. The 6’8” Zeeshan showed his discipline by bowling around a length that troubled the Afghanistan batters. With Khalil Ahmad run out in the 27th over, Afghanistan were bowled out for 103. The Player of the Match award winner Shahzaib Khan stated that he planned his attack on the Afghanistan spinners in advance, “Yes, we played according to a plan. I tried to muscle my shots in the wind’s direction, and to not play against the win. The attempt was also to hit all the shots in the gap.”

Bangladesh decided to bowl first in Bloemfontein, looking to make the most of any early help available. Left-arm pacer Maruf Mridha bowled with pinpoint accuracy and troubled the India openers. He eventually accounted for Arshin Kulkarni (7) and Musheer Khan (3) in his first spell to leave India in trouble. India’s innings was anchored by the left-right combination of Adarsh Singh and skipper Uday Saharan. The duo overcame the guile of Bangladesh bowlers and put together a crucial 116-run stand for the third wicket. Things got tense during the middle overs, when the players engaged in verbal battles amidst India’s rising stand. Adarsh (74) eventually fell while trying to loft Chowdhury Md Rizwan over mid-off in the 32nd over. Bangladesh pressed on after this breakthrough, and soon had Saharan (64), whose composed knock came to an end off Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby’s bowling. Useful cameos from Aravelly Avanish (23 from 17) and Sachin Dhas (26 from 20) helped to add crucial runs to the Indian total, but Maruf returned to pick two more wickets and restrict India to 251/7. Maruf finished with an impressive five-wicket haul to announce himself in style. This was a step up for the pacer, as he’d picked a four-wicket haul in a semi-final win against the same opponents in the U19 Asia Cup last month. Some erratic new ball bowling combined with a studious effort from the Bangladesh openers helped them get off to a confident start. Eventually, India got their first breakthrough when Murugan Abhishek took a brilliant catch at point as Jishan Alam tried to pierce a Raj Limbani delivery past him. India vice-captain Saumy Pandey made an impact as soon as he was introduced. His accuracy and persistence got the better of Bangladesh batters, who tried to charge at him to up the scoring rate. Rizwan and Ashiqur Rahman Shibli were cleaned up while trying to go after Pandey. When Ahrar Amin fell lbw to Kulkarni, Bangladesh had lost four wickets with over 200 to get, and were in dire need of a consolidating act. This came from Ariful Islam and Mohammad Shihab James, who stabilised the innings with a patient stand. However, disciplined bowling from India ensured that the Bangladesh scoring rate didn’t go too high. It was Musheer’s canny slow left-arm spin that accounted for Ariful, and Bangladesh’s fight wilted. Spin accounted for seven wickets, with Saumy finishing with 4/24. India’s skipper Uday Saharan discussed his crucial third-wicket stand with Adarsh, which helped his team to a strong position in the first innings. “We focussed on executing our plans. After the loss of two early wickets, we remained calm. Adarsh batted brilliantly. We knew if we stayed at the wicket, runs will keep coming.”

England captain Ben McKinney elected to bowl first after winning the toss. Scotland’s watchful start was disrupted by Farhan Ahmed’s double strike. Farhan, the younger brother of England international Rehan Ahmed, accounted for opener Adi Hegde (3) and Bahadar Esakhiel (0) in the 10th over. Scotland then tried to pick pace on the back of a settled partnership between Jamie Dunk and Owen Gould. However, England vice-captain Luc Benkenstein weaved his magic in the middle-overs and put his side ahead. Luc, the son of former South Africa international Dale Benkenstein, scalped Dunk, Gould and Ibrahim Faisal to finish with 3/41. Farhan struck once more to end with 3/22. Though Scotland batted for almost 50 overs, they finished with a modest 174. In response, Jaydn Denly and McKinney got off to a great start. They mixed caution with intent in the first Powerplay, taking on the loose deliveries, and accumulating 68 runs in the period. McKinney took charge between overs 11-14, hitting five boundaries including two sixes to push England closer to the target. Denly fell while trying to pierce the cover region in the 16th over. However, by then England were merely 69 runs away from their ask. McKinney’s aggression kept his team on track, and they finished the game in the 27th over. England skipper Ben McKinney was elated at the result after the game, “Best start to the tournament. It’s probably the best situation we could’ve had. A few lads got in, and we bowled pretty well. So I’m pretty happy.”

West Indies skipper Stephan Pascal won the toss and elected to bowl first. Despite the early loss of Steve Stolk (5) in just the fourth over, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius’ aggressive start meant South Africa were on the front foot. Pretorius hit six fours and a six during his 34-ball stay at the crease, with South Africa going at six an over. However, the West Indies spinners took charge in the middle overs, and a beauty from Nathan Sealy brought about the end of Pretorius’ stay in the middle. The disciplined tweakers – Tarrique Edward being the other – brought the scoring rate to under five by the mid-innings stage.It meant David Teeger had to play the role of an anchor to ensure the young Proteas remained in the fight. He scored a 98-ball 44, and had good support from Oliver Whitehead (26 off 35), the duo taking the hosts to 145/4. However, Sealy’s double strike in the 35th over brought West Indies back in charge. It needed a fighting partnership between Dewan Marais and Juan James to help lift South Africa to a fighting total. Marais’ assured 38-ball 65 pushed the hosts back, and captain James keeping pace at the other end with 47, the hosts posted a fighting 285/9. West Indies had an ominous start to their chase, losing their top three within the first three overs. Kwena Maphaka did the initial damage with the ball. His efforts were soon backed up by Riley Norton, and the Caribbean side lost half their team by the 10-over mark. It was then that Jewel Andrew’s quality shone through. Along with Nathan Sealy, Andrew exhibited patience as well as ruthlessness, his six-hitting particularly eye-catching. Andrew hit 11 fours and three sixes on the way to his century, keeping West Indies in the game, with Sealy providing an assured hand at the other end. However, South Africa made the most of an unfortunate mix-up, running out Sealy and reducing West Indies to 190/6. Andrew continued from the other end, keeping West Indies in the hunt with his exquisite strokeplay. So long as Andrew was in the middle, it seemed West Indies had a chance of pulling off a heist. However, Maphaka and Riley Norton, the wicket-takers in the first Powerplay, proved to be South Africa's saviours. Back-to-back wickets from the duo put the Proteas on the brink of a win, with Andrew falling for an exquisite 130 to Norton. Maphaka finished the formalities in the 41st over, ending with a brilliant 5/38.

Great start by Ireland with three wickets apiece for YMCA opening bowlers Olly Riley and Reuben Wilson helping dismiss USA for 105. There were two scalps for Clontarf's John McNally and one each for spinners Scott Macbeth and Carson McCullough. The Irish will be confident of chasing this down and get their campaign off to a winning start. However, Jordan Neill is gone in the first over. Could this be one of those nervy chases? More nerves as Gavin Roulston departs for 0. However, a flurry of boundaries from Kian Hilton and Ryan Hunter get the Irish back on track as they both reach 20 and are over halfway to the modest target. A stand of 59 is ended by the fall of Hilton, but skipper Philippe Le Roux and Hunter edging their side closer to the finishing line. Hunter reaches his 50 from 63 balls (5 fours) as Pete Johnston's side win by 7 wickets.

Ireland U19s World Cup preparations were hampered after just 32 balls were possible in their second and final official warm-up game against Namibia. Ryan Hunter (12*) and Jordan Neill (9*) safely negotiated the opening spell reaching 22 without loss when the heavens opened. Pete Johnston's side face USA in their tournament opener on Friday.

Ireland lost the first of their two official warm-up matches on Sunday as they were beaten by 27 runs against Zimbabwe in a game curtailed by rain. Jordan Neill again went cheaply, but runs for Ryan Hunter (26), Gavin Roulston (35) and Kian Hilton (37) saw them reach 98 for 2, before a mini-collapse had them in trouble at 130 for 6. The lower middle-order rallied though with CSNI's Harry Dyer top-scoring with 44, adding 47 with Carson McCullough (24), while skipper Phillipe Le Roux made 23. A total of 217 for 9 looked competitive, but Ryan Kamwemba hit 52 in an opening stand of 91 before Pete Johnston's side rallied. Reuben Wilson (2-16) and Carson McCullough (1-31) took three wickets for three runs to bring their side right back into contention. However, Zimbabwe's fourth wicket pair of Campbell MacMillan (49*) and Ronak Patel added 73 to take their side to 167 for 3 after 38 overs when the rain came. A quick check of the DLS sheet saw Zimbabwe 27 ahead and declared victors. Ireland play their second and final warm-up match against Namibia onTuesday, before they start the tournament proper on Friday.