Ghana’s Under 19 team has failed to progress to the last four of the ongoing ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier Division 2 tournament in Potchefstroom, South Africa on Wednesday, August 22, 2018.
The boys, who comfortably saw off Lesotho on day 2 of the 50 over tourney after losing their opening game to Nigeria on Sunday, lost their last group game against Mozambique by 6 wickets with 169 balls remaining.
Played at the Senwes Park 1, Ghana, after winning the toss and electing to bat scored 99 runs, all out in 25 overs. Mozambique in the second innings scored 100-4 in 21.5 overs.
Bernardo Simango, who was adjudged Player of the Match, took a hat-trick dismissing David Mario Pereira, Joseph Oko Adotei and Aaron Boamah, giving away only 1 run in an over.
Mozambique, thus, qualified alongside leaders of Group B Nigeria to the semi-final. Nigeria had a 100% record in the group stages with 6 points as they beat Lesotho by 9 wickets with 259 balls remaining after a 46-10 in 18.1 overs & 47-1 in 6.5 overs results.
Group A of the tournament however has more matches to decide their semi-finalist. Tanzania (with 3 matches played) and Sierra Leone (with 2 matches) lead with 4 points each while Rwanda (with 2 matches) and Botswana (with 3 matches) lie 3rd and 4th with 2 points each. Swaziland after 2 matches played is bottom with no point.
Sierra Leone beat Botswana by 6 wickets after the latter won toss and scored 140-10 in 38 overs. Salone scored 141-4 in 40 overs.
Tanzania defeated Swaziland by 163 runs as the former scored 262-5 whiles Swaziland managed 99-10 in 41.2 overs.
The first 3 teams after the tournament qualify to the Africa Div 1 Qualifiers for the Cricket World Cup which will be held in January and February 2020 in South Africa.
Team Ghana are expected to touch down at the Kotoka International Airport at 9:15pm on Saturday.
By: Davis Nii Attuquaye Clottey/voltaonlinegh.com
