Day 19 Talking Points – Brevis lights it up one final time; Pakistan’s captain has it all

SUPER LEAGUE FIFTH-PLACE PLAYOFF: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 238 runs

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Astonishing batting from Pakistan

Pakistan’s demolition of Sri Lanka in Antigua was one of the best displays of the tournament, and their dominance began right from the start as openers Muhammad Shehzad and Haseebullah Khan put on 134 for the first wicket.

Remarkably that was far from the best partnership of the day for Pakistan, as Shehzad’s dismissal for 73 off 69 balls brought Qasim Akram to the crease, who proceeded to play arguably the knock of the tournament.

The Pakistan captain creamed 135* off just 80 balls in a remarkable innings that included 13 fours and six sixes.

Akram and Khan put on 229 runs for the second wicket in just 25.3 overs, with Khan dismissed for 136 in the final over of the innings.

Qasim Akram can bowl too!

Not content with scoring one of the most impressive centuries of the tournament, Pakistan’s captain when straight back out and bagged himself a five-wicket haul.

Akram’s five scalps came in super-quick time too, as he dismissed all of Sri Lanka’s top five inside the first 11 overs of the innings.

The 19-year-old finished with figures of 5/37, becoming the first player in the history of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup to score a hundred and take five wickets in the same match.

Dunith Wellalage has real class

Sri Lanka’s captain has enjoyed a terrific tournament with both bat and ball, and he impressed again in North Sound, albeit in a doomed cause.

A clatter of early wickets meant that Wellalage strolled to the crease at number six in just the fifth over, but he stuck around for a classy 40 off 67 balls that helped his side avoid humiliation.

Wellalage has shown plenty in this tournament to suggest he has the potential to make it all the way, with several in the commentary box even tipping him as a future Sri Lankan captain.

SUPER LEAGUE SEVENTH-PLACE PLAYOFF: South Africa beat Bangladesh by two wickets

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The sky is the limit for Dewald Brevis

South Africa’s young batting sensation has an exceptionally bright future, and he underlined his brilliance with a second century of the tournament to take him well clear as the World Cup’s leading scorer.

Brevis’ brilliant 138 off 130 balls effectively won his side the game, and the way he went about it was extremely impressive, building a foundation before accelerating the scoring to bring the target of 294 within reach, hitting seven maximums along the way.

The 18-year-old has scored two centuries and three half-centuries from six innings in the Caribbean, racking up 506 runs at an average of 84.33.

And not content with being the standout batter, he has also picked up seven wickets with his useful leg-spin. The future is extremely bright for the youngster.

Ariful Islam doubles up

Bangladesh’s 17-year-old right-hander is one of just three players at the tournament to have reached triple figures twice, along with Brevis and Pakistan’s Khan.

On most days Islam’s 102 from 103 balls would have played a big part in winning the game for Bangladesh, and he showed great class en-route to the excellent century.

Brevis’ brilliance overshadowed the Bangladeshi youngster in the end, but the touch and timing he showed, hitting nine fours and three sixes, hinted that there is a lot more to come from Islam in his cricket career.

Boast earns South Africa the bragging rights

South Africa’s successful chase of 294 may have been built on the back of Brevis, but it took a fiery cameo from Matthew Boast to get them over the line.

The young Proteas reached their target with seven balls remaining, but they would have struggled were it not for Boast’s explosive 41 from just 22 balls, which featured two fours and four sixes.

Runs in his final innings was the cherry on top for fast-bowler Boast at the end of a campaign in which he’s impressed with the ball, taking ten wickets.