Easy wins for S. Africa, Zimbabwe

By Sanjay Rajan

COLOMBO, JAN. 19. South Africa and Zimbabwe, the only two countries with Test status competing in the Plate Championship for the bottom eight teams in the Youth World Cup here, notched up comfortable victories in the opening round of their Group matches.

South Africa, hounded by rain throughout the league phase, played its first full contest on Wednesday. It defeated Americas by 150 runs in a Group II encounter at the Asgiriya Stadium.

Opting to bat first, South Africa's batting guns boomed, making 264 for three in the allotted 50 overs. Three of the top four batsmen cracked half centuries while the other missed his by six runs.

A fighting half century by Ashish Bagai, a lad from Canada, saw Americas manage 114 in reply. Medium-pacer Albie Morkel took five wickets.

Zimbabwe is pooled in the competitive of the two groups. It has Kenya and Bangladesh, countries with One-Day status for company apart from Namibia. It beat Kenya by six wickets at the Galle International Stadium.

A 63-run sixth-wicket stand between Josephat Ababu and Sanil Patel saw Kenya, asked to bat first, make 162. Zimbabwe made it with six wickets in hand, the highlight being the 73-run fourth- wicket stand between Taibu and Greg Lamb. Mediumpacer Hannan Sarker's five-wicket haul featured Bangladesh's seven wicket victory over Namibia.

In the other Group II encounter between equals Ireland beat Holland in a contest reduced to 40 overs a side owing to wet ground conditions in Radella.

The second round of matches in the Super-Eights will be played on Thursday.

The scores (Plate championship):

Group I:

Kenya 162 in 44.2 overs (Anand Gore 34, Josephat Ababu 40, Sanil Patel 28, Hilton Henderson three for 35) lost to Zimbabwe 165 for four in 31.4 overs (Conan Brewer 34, Tatenda Taibu 40, Greg Lamb 41 not out), in Galle.

Namibia 57 in 28.3 overs (Hannan Sarker five for 15) lost to Bangladesh 58 for three in 11.1 overs, in Matara.

lGroup II:

South Africa 264 for three in 50 overs (Graeme Smith 59, Andrew Puttick 76, Jacques Rudolph 44, Jonathan Trott 53 not out) bt Americas 114 in 40 overs (Ashish Bagai 53 not out, Albie Morkel five for 27), at Asgiriya Stadium.

Ireland 149 for eight in 40 overs (Dominic Joyce 59, Vikash Tewarie three for 24) bt Holland 130 in 38.3 overs (Adeel Raja 43, Conor Armstrong three for 13), in Radella.

Thursday's matches: Super-League: West Indies v New Zealand, Pakistan v Australia, India v England and Sri Lanka v Nepal.

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