Australia Under-19 have clinched their fourth ICC Cricket World Cup U19 title after defeating India Under-19 by 79 runs in the final at Willowmoore Park, Benoni on Sunday. The Aussies put up a competitive total of 253/7 in 50 overs, thanks to half-centuries from Harjas Singh (55) and Hugh Weibgen (48). India Under-19 were bowled out for 174 in 43.5 overs, with only Adarsh Singh (47) and Mohit Abhishek (42) offering some resistance. Australia Under-19’s Mitchell Beardman was named the Player of the Match for his brilliant spell of 3/15 in seven overs.
Australia Under-19 bat first and post 253/7
Australia Under-19 captain Hugh Weibgen won the toss and opted to bat first on a sunny day in Benoni. He opened the innings with Harry Dixon, who gave the team a solid start with a 42-ball 42. Dixon hit three fours and a six in his knock, before he was caught by Sachin Dhas off Raj Limbani in the 14th over. Samuel Konstas, who came in at number three, was dismissed for a duck by Naman Tiwari in the next over, leaving Australia Under-19 at 64/2.
Weibgen then joined forces with Harjas Singh, who was playing his first match of the tournament. The duo added 83 runs for the third wicket, steadying the innings and keeping the scoreboard ticking. Weibgen was the more aggressive of the two, hitting five fours in his 66-ball 48. He fell short of his fifty when he was caught by Priyanshu Moliya off Musheer Khan in the 30th over. Singh continued to anchor the innings, reaching his maiden half-century in 59 balls. He hit three fours and three sixes in his 64-ball 55, before he was trapped lbw by Saumy Pandey in the 37th over.
Ryan Hicks (20) and Oliver Peake (46) then added some quick runs in the middle order, taking the team past 200 in the 43rd over. Hicks was dismissed by Limbani in the 34th over, while Peake was run out by Adarsh Singh in the 48th over. Peake smashed two fours and a six in his 43-ball 46, providing the late impetus to the innings. Raf Macmillan (2), Cooper Anderson (13) and Thomas Straker (8) were the other contributors in the lower order, as Australia Under-19 finished with 253/7 in 50 overs.
For India Under-19, Limbani was the most successful bowler with 3/38 in 10 overs. Tiwari also bowled well, taking 2/47 in 10 overs. Pandey and Khan picked up one wicket each, while Moliya and Mohit Abhishek were wicketless.
India Under-19 collapse to 174 all out
Chasing 254 for their sixth ICC Cricket World Cup U19 title, India Under-19 got off to a shaky start as they lost Anirudh Kulkarni (3) in the fourth over, caught by Peake off Cooper Anderson. Adarsh Singh and Mohit Khan then tried to rebuild the innings, adding 41 runs for the second wicket. Khan was the more aggressive of the two, hitting three fours in his 33-ball 22. He was dismissed by Connor Vidler in the 12th over, caught by Peake at mid-off.
Uday Saharan (8), who had scored a century in the semi-final against Pakistan Under-19, failed to repeat his heroics as he was caught by Macmillan off Thomas Straker in the 18th over. Sachin Dhas (9) also fell cheaply, caught by Weibgen off Vidler in the 20th over. India Under-19 were reduced to 77/4 at this stage, with the required run rate climbing over six.
Adarsh Singh and Priyanshu Moliya then tried to revive the chase, adding 25 runs for the fifth wicket. Adarsh Singh was the top scorer for India Under-19, hitting four fours and a six in his 77-ball 47. He was dismissed by Beardman in the 27th over, caught by Straker at deep midwicket. Moliya (9) followed him soon, caught by Peake off Beardman in the 29th over.
India Under-19’s hopes rested on Mohit Abhishek, who had scored a half-century in the quarter-final against Bangladesh Under-19. He showed some fight, hitting five fours and a six in his 46-ball 42. He added 28 runs for the seventh wicket with Arshin Avanish (0), who was run out by Peake in the 35th over. He then added 24 runs for the eighth wicket with Limbani (0), who was caught by Weibgen off Macmillan in the 40th over.
Abhishek was the ninth wicket to fall, caught by Straker off Macmillan in the 43rd over. Tiwari (14) and Pandey (2) were the last pair to bat, but they could not delay the inevitable. Pandey was bowled by Straker in the 44th over, as India Under-19 were bowled out for 174, handing Australia Under-19 a 79-run victory.
For Australia Under-19, Beardman was the star performer with the ball, taking 3/15 in seven overs. He was well supported by Macmillan, who took 3/43 in 10 overs. Vidler and Straker also chipped in with two wickets each, while Anderson took one wicket.
Australia Under-19 lift their fourth ICC Cricket World Cup U19 trophy
Australia Under-19 celebrated their fourth ICC Cricket World Cup U19 title, after winning the tournament in 1988, 2002 and 2010. They also avenged their loss to India Under-19 in the 2012 final. Harjas Singh was named the Player of the Match for his superb knock of 55. Hugh Weibgen was named the Player of the Series for scoring 267 runs and taking 10 wickets in the tournament.
India Under-19, who were the defending champions and the most successful team in the history of the event, had to settle for the runners-up trophy. They had won the title in 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2018. They also reached the final in 2006 and 2016, but lost to Pakistan Under-19 and West Indies Under-19 respectively.
The ICC Cricket World Cup U19 is a biennial event that showcases the future stars of cricket. The 2024 edition featured 16 teams, divided into four groups of four each. The top two teams from each group qualified for the Super League stage, while the bottom two teams played in the Plate League stage. The tournament was held in South Africa from January 13 to February 11, 2024.