Bangladesh Under-19 qualified for the Quater-finals of the U-19 World Cup yesterday. Inspired by Nazmul Hossain Shanto’s unbeaten ton, the junior Tigers defeated Scotland by 114 runs at Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium. The second win in Group A, with the upset Namibia pulled off on the same day by beating defending champions South Africa, sealed a quarter-final slot for the home side.
Bangladesh will face high-flying Namibia, also on two wins, in their last group game which will also determine their standings. One more win will see Bangladesh finish as the Group A champions.
Bangladesh recovered from a shaky start against Scotland after losing two wickets for just 17 runs but Shanto continued his good work with the willow as he smashed the record books on his way to 113 off 117 deliveries.
Batting at No 4, Shanto first topped the most runs scored in youth ODIs when he was on 61 before becoming the first Bangladeshi centurion in the ongoing edition. His composure at the middle saw him stitch two hundred-run partnerships – 101 with Saif Hassan (49) for the third wicket and exactly 100 with Mehedi Hasan (51) for the fourth wicket – which carried Bangladesh to a strong position in the match. The left-hander hammered 10 boundaries during his unbeaten knock.
Scottish right-arm pacer Mohammad Ghaffar took four of the six Bangladeshi wickets as the hosts eventually made 256.
The target was always going to be hard to chase given Bangladesh’s bowling prowess. Despite a solid looking 48-run opening stand between Neil Flack and Rory Jhonston, Scotland stood no chance in front of seamer Mohammad Saifuddin and spinner Saleh Ahmed Shawon who bagged three wickets each. Azeem Dar’s 50 was the best in the Scottish innings that ended on 142.
