Pakistan romp to victory to keep the dream alive

Pakistan 287-9 (50 overs, Riaz Kail 84, Ali Asad 69); Australia 124 (32.3 overs, Khawaja 59). Pakistan won by 163 runs.

Ali Asad scampers a single during his 69 which helped rescue Pakistan from 80 for 5 © ICC

Pakistan kept alive their dream of becoming the first side to retain the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup as they romped to victory over Australia in Friday's second Super League semi-final in Colombo.

Safaraz Ahmed's side, at one stage 80-5, reached 287-9 thanks to a record sixth-wicket stand of 160 between Riaz Kail (84) and Ali Asad (69), and then routed their opponents for 124 to secure a 163-run success.

The win propelled Pakistan into Sunday's Super League final where they will face their arch-rivals India, already there after an equally emphatic win over England on Wednesday.

And it gives Pakistan the chance to keep hold of the trophy they won at the last ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup, in Bangladesh in 2004.

That chance is due to a large extent to the efforts of Kail and Asad as the duo fashioned a superb recovery after coming together in very unpromising circumstances.

Australia captain Moises Henriques (3-57) and Adam Ritchard (2-71) made life tough for the early batsmen and there was also brilliant work in the field that left Pakistan on the back foot.

Opener Nasir Jamshaid (15) was brilliantly stumped down the leg-side by Matthew Wade off Ritchard and when Rameez Raja (28) was run out looking for a second run to deep point it seemed Australia had one foot in the final.

But Kail and Asad had other ideas as first they stopped the rot by avoiding any unnecessary risks and then, as the ball stopped moving and the fielders tired in the baking humidity, the pair found their feet and played with real fluency.

Man of the match Kail hit nine fours during his 99-ball innings that spanned 104 minutes while the left-handed Asad's effort included five fours and a towering six as he faced 86 deliveries in 115 minutes.

Their stand was the highest sixth wicket partnership of the tournament and also equaled the best stand for any wicket in the 40 matches played so far, the 160 added by Ireland's Eoin Morgan and Andrew Poynter against New Zealand.

And in the face of their counter-attack, Australia's out-cricket wilted. Ritchard, whose first five overs cost just 17 runs and included the wickets of Ibrahim Mohammed (2) and Nasir Jamshaid saw his last five overs go for 54 runs.

That was largely due to a ferocious late assault by Syed Imad Wasim, whose unbeaten 29 took just 14 balls and included three fours and a six. That contribution was vital as it meant Pakistan maintained the momentum given to them by their sixth wicket pairing.

Captain Moises Henriques was also expensive late on but he did confirm his current standing as the tournament's leading wicket-taker. His three successes took him to 16 wickets, four clear of Ireland pace bowler Niall McDarby.

The other wicket-taker for Australia was Simon Keen (2-46) while the spin of Jack McNamara (0-47) and super sub Jon Holland (0-31 in six overs) was largely ineffective.

Holland came on in place of seam bowler Ben Cutting who bowled four overs for 25 runs before he was replaced.

Australia, requiring almost a run-a-ball right from the start of their innings, found the going tough in the face of Pakistan's impressive opening attack.

The left-arm pacer Jamshaid Ahmed (2-17) swung the ball and removed Tom Cooper (1) and Henriques (8) while Anwer Ali Khan bowled his ten overs straight through and finished with a very tidy 0-45.

Usman Khawaja battled away for 59 from 69 balls but Australia gradually fell further and further behind the required rate and in the face of that mounting task and the increasing pressure they folded.

The last seven wickets fell for just 25 runs as Syed Imad Wasim (3-16) and Muhammad Usman Malik (3-17) wrapped things up with haste.

Pakistan coach Mansoor Rana said afterwards: "I am really proud of the boys as, when we left Pakistan, no one was really expecting this.

"We did not have a long camp ahead of the tournament but I was working with these boys and I knew they are capable.

"Today we just needed a partnership and to get to 35 or 40 overs with no more than the five wickets down.

"Our bowling has been very good for the last couple of months and I knew we were good enough to defend the total."

For Henriques the emotions were understandably different.

"That was really disappointing as it was absolutely our worst performance of the tournament after we played lots of good cricket.

"We started well but deteriorated in the field and never came back from there but it has been a big learning curve and as long as we walk away knowing we have learnt something then we will be better off."

Did Australia get complacent in the field after their early successes? Henriques did not think so.

"I did not think we were in the final (at that stage) but we were on top," he said.

"We just could not bury them but credit to them as they batted sensibly and took the game away from us and we did not bat too well."