DHAKA: Half-centuries from the openers Sami Aslam and Imam-ul-Haq helped set up Pakistan Under-19s` 145-run win against Papa New Guinea Under-19s in Dubai.

Put in to bat, Aslam and Imam gave Pakistan a bright start by putting up 125 in 25.2 overs. Aslam fell for 62, but Imam forged another big partnership - 72 for the second wicket with Hasan Raza - to take the team close to the 200-run mark and eventually finished with 88. Medium-pacer Kabua Morea picked up three wickets, but Pakistan`s middle- and lower-order all chipped in with small contributions to lift the team to 283 for 9.

PNG failed to gather any momentum during the chase as wickets at regular intervals hurt their progress. Kiplin Doriga was the only batsman who offered some resistance, scoring 51, as the team were bundled out for 138 in 30.5 overs.

An all-round performance from Mosaddek Hossain guided Bangladesh Under-19s to a 52-run win against Namibia Under-19s in Abu Dhabi. Mosaddek first hit an unbeaten 70 to take Bangladesh to 233 for 5, and then picked up three wickets, including the crucial ones of Xander Pitchers and Jaen Kotze to help bowl Namibia out for 181.

Bangladesh, batting first, were buoyed by fifty-plus stands for the first two wickets, with Shadman Islam involved in both stands, scoring 65. Islam was bowled by the legspinner Gerhard Erasmus in the 35th over, but Mosaddek, coming in at No. 4, combined with the next three batsmen to add 98 runs.

Namibia lost two early wickets during the chase, but Erasmus and Pitchers stabilised the innings with a 64-run stand for the third wicket. However, both batsmen were dismissed in quick succession by the 29th over, after which the team struggled to muster any other meaningful partnership. Mosaddek and Mustafizur Rahman both took three wickets, with Rahman the slightly more economical bowler, going for just 24 runs from his 10 overs.

Source: espncricinfo
BDST: 1300 HRS, FEB 18, 2014