LAHORE - Pakistan handed Afghanistan a heavy 109-run defeat in their ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup Group B match played at the John Blanck Oval in Brisbane on Saturday.
In their innings, Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Shaidi with 50 runs was the only player who showed resistance to the Pakistani bowlers. Afghan team was bowled out for 144 runs in 45.1 overs.  Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Zia-ul-Haq took four wickets for 30 runs while Zafar Gohar also bowled well and got two wickets for 25 runs.  Earlier, Afghanistan opted to field first and put neighbouring Pakistan to bat first. Pakistani openers Sami Aslam and Babar Azam put on 49 runs for the first wicket before Sami Aslam being out when his personal score was 21.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam top-scored with 75 but their middle-order failed to keep up the momentum as they slid to 148-5 in the 37th over before M Nawaz clobbered a 50-ball 66 to take the score past 253/6. Umar Waheed contributed unbeaten 43 while Imam-ul-Haq made 25. Nawaz and Umar Waheed registered a century partnership for the sixth wickets to stable Pakistan innings. From Afghanistan Sayed Shirzad got 2/43 and Yamin Ahmadzai took 2/54.
Australia victorious: Meanwhile, Australia started their defence of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup with a six-wicket win against arch rivals England in Townsville on Saturday. A fantastic all-round bowling effort from the Australian Under-19 side saw them restrict the tournament front runners to 143, a Cricket Australia (CA) media release said. Australia struck early with West Australia’s Joel Paris taking out English danger-man Daniel Bell-Drummond for a duck. Paceman Mark Steketee then claimed the valuable wicket of Ben Foakes (2). Ashton Turner claimed the wickets of Ben Duckett (15) and Sam Wood (0) on consecutive deliveries and unfortunately missed his hat-trick with the first ball of his next over.
Australia’s run chase got off to a shaky start with the openers James Peirson and Cameron Bancroft falling in the first two overs to a sharp opening spell by the English attack. Bosisto and hard-hitting left-handed batsman Travis Head combined well for a match winning fourth wicket stand enabling Australia to cruise to victory with 15 overs to spare. Head, who was awarded Man of the Match, hit a solid 57 of 58 balls to combine with Bosisto for a partnership of 93. Australia play Nepal in their second group match on Monday 13 August at Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville.
BD too hot for Lanka: Bangladesh’s captain Anamul Haque led his side to victory over Sri Lanka with a century in their opening U-19 World Cup match. Haque’s 101 was augmented by 84 from Asif Ahmed as Bangladesh piled up 249/7 while Sri Lankans 25 runs short in the afternoon.
Haque and Asif provided a platform on which the middle order capitalised with a handful of big hits to nudge 250. Sanitha de Mel got two more wickets to that of Sarkar’s to be Sri Lanka’s most incisive bowler.  The chase was off to a sound enough start, before the loss of Sebastian Perera heralded a collapse of 4 for 16. From 58 for 4 the Sri Lankans were always likely to struggle, and they were rounded up comfortably short of Bangladesh despite a determined 83 from Angelo Jayasinghe and Lahiru Madushanka’s 48. Bangladesh’s bowlers shared the spoils, Sarkar nabbing Jayasinghe as one of two wickets in an over with his part-time mediums to snuff out Sri Lanka’s resistance.
Zimbabwe beat PNG: Papua New Guinea were beaten comprehensively by Zimbabwe. A five-wicket haul from Christopher Kent, the captain who also bowls leg-spin, kept Zimbabwe to 249 but it proved too much for PNG. They were bowled out for 145 with Sese Bau managing a highest of 34 at a run a ball. Kent made 24 but PNG kept losing wickets too frequently. Each of Zimbabwe’s six bowlers managed at least a wicket; offspinner Matthew Bentley, legspinner Peacemore Zimwa and seamer Luke Jongwe bagged two each.
Zimbabwe, presumably, would have hoped for much more than what they managed, since they got an excellent start from their openers Kevin Kasuza (97) and Luke Masasire (47) who added 109. That was followed by a 66-run stand between Kasuza and Ryan Burl. But Zimbabwe lost their way when the score was 196; four wickets fell with no run added, and the last eight wickets fell for just 53. However, their final score was more than sufficient to defend.

scoreboard
Pakistan U-19:
Sami Aslam c Noori b Yamin    21
Babar Azam run out Shirzad    75
Imam-ul-Haq c & b Noori    25
Umar Waheed not out    43
Saad Ali c Ahmadi b Yamin    4
Salman Afridi c Afsar b Shirzad    0
M Nawaz c Afsar b Shirzad    66
Usman Qadir not out    1
Extras: (lb6, w12)    18
Total: (for 6 wkts; 50.0 overs)    253
FOW: 1-49, 2-122, 3-142,  4-147,5-148, 6-251
Bowling: Aftab Alam 8.0-0-27-0, Sayed Shirzad 9.0-1-43-2, Yamin Ahmadzai 10-0-0-54,Shabir Noori 10-0-49-1, Javed Ahmadi 9-0-48-0, Abdul Naseri 4-0-26-0
Afghanistan:
Afsar Khan c Afridi b Zia    16
Javed Ahmadi c & b Zia    20
Hashmatullah Sahidi c & b Usman    50
Shabir Noori c & b Zafar Gohar    5
Nasir Ahmadzai c M Nawaz b Umar    6
Mohibullah c Afridi b Zia     30
Najibullah Zadran b Zafar    1
Yamin Ahmadzai st Afridi b M Nawaz    7
Abdul Naseri c Afridi b Zia    4
Sayed Shirzad run out Babar    1
Aftab Alam not out    0
Extras: (lb1, w2, nb1)    4   
Total: (all out in 45.1 overs)    144
FOW: 1-36, 2-39, 3-58, 4-77, 5-111, 6-112, 7-135, 8-143, 9-144,10-144
BOWLING : Zia ul Haq 8.1-1-30-4,  Ehsan Adil 8-0-30-0, Zafar Gohar 8-0-25-2, Umar Waheed    4-0-11-1, M Nawaz 10-1-28-1, Usman Qadir 7-1-19-1
Toss: Afghanistan who opt to field
Player of Match: Babar Azam (Pakistan)