Kent hundred helps PNG beat Canada

Nitish Kumar racked up the tournament's highest score, 150, only to see it bettered by Christopher Kent, who scored 166 to help Papua New Guinea Under-19s chase Canada Under-19s total of 261 at Woodvale Road with two balls to spare. Kumar's knock, and starts from both openers, had put Canada in a strong position at 172 for 2 in the 35th over. But late wickets meant Canada could not push on as they might have wanted to, but they still managed a challenging total, which looked more imposing when PNG slipped to 13 for 3. Kent counterattacked, playing shots all around the wicket, and reached his half-century in 40 balls. He steadied himself in the middle overs, before launching into another attack in the end. PNG needed 15 runs off the last two overs, and Kent got boundaries off the first two balls of the 49th. They still needed five in the last over, and Toua Tom finished things off by crashing a boundary to midwicket.

Kent, who was declared man of the Match said PNG's focus would now be to end the tournament on a high. "I was just thinking of playing every ball on its merit," he said. "I wanted to bat right through the innings. Two more good days and our dream could well be true."

Nepal Under-19s have caught up with Ireland Under-19s on five wins after beating them by 10 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method at the Bready Cricket Club. Nepal only managed 187 for 7 after a spell of 10-4-15-3 from Ireland captain George Dockrell, but Nepal's own left-arm spinner Rahul Vishwakarma came up with figures of 4 for 28 to wipe out Ireland's low order, and go to the top of the tournament's wickets-chart in the process. Vishwakarma's four scalps completed a collapse that had been begun with the run-out of Adam Coughlan for 48 and the dismissal of Dockrell for 55. Those two had taken Ireland out of trouble to 161 for 4. Ireland still needed 25 runs off 19 balls to be ahead of the D/L par score at the end of 46 overs when Coughlan departed, and the late wickets ensured they did not get there. Nepal's total had been built on Sagar Pun's half-century, and contributions from Vishwakarma and Krishna Karki down the order.

Soctland Under-19s took advantage of Ireland's slip-up, and went to the top of the table, after a 40-run victory versus Namibia Under-19s at the other ground at the Bready Cricket Club. The game was reduced to 43 overs, and was another low-scoring affair with Scotland only managing 180 for 9, and then bowling Namibia out for 140 in 39.5 overs. Scotland's top order laid a solid base, with each of the top three getting starts, but the middle and lower order did not contribute much. Namibia lost wickets in a cluster at the beginning of their chase and then again at the end. Pelham Myburgh scored 43 and battled till the 24th over but his side were never in the game after the early blows.

United States of America Under-19s handed Vanuatu Under-19s their seventh-straight defeat in a rain-affected match at the Drummond Cricket Club. The match was initially reduced to 32 overs, and Vanuatu managed 128 for 8 after being put in to bat. USA scored quickly in the chase, and when rain stopped play after 22 overs they were 42 runs ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis par score. Steven Taylor who made an unbeaten 33 for USA was named Man of the Match. "In the last three games I had not done well," Taylor said. "I was glad to have made a contribution to the side's win again. The side is gelling well now and we are looking good as a combination right now."

In another shortened match, at the Limavady Cricket Club, Afghanistan Under-19s put together a whirlwind chase, going past Kenya Under-19s' total of 154 for 5 in just 18.4 overs. The match had been reduced to 24 overs, and Kenya scored at 6.41 in their innings, with Rahul Vishram scoring 59 off 40 balls. Afghanistan scored at 8.30 in the chase; Javed Ahmadi smashed five sixes in his 86 off 51 balls, while Hashmatullah Shaidi got 63 off 58 balls.