DHAKA, Feb 24: Sri Lanka and India scored much-needed victories on Tuesday to leave wide open the Group-I of the Super League at ICC Under-19 World Cup. Sri Lanka owed their 29-run victory over South Africa largely to opener Upul Tharanga who struck a 140-ball 117 that helped lift the total to 277 for five. He hit nine fours and two sixes.

South Africa, in reply, were all out for 248 in 48.3 overs despite a splendid 120 by Jasco Booysen, who slammed 13 boundaries in his 114-ball. Sri Lankan skipper and opening bowler Farveez Maharoof took the bowling honours with four for 49.

India, on the other hand, outclassed West Indies by 96 runs under lights at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. Suresh Raina top-scored with 66, while skipper Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik made 47 and 46 respectively as India reached 253 for nine in 50 overs.

Fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, who made an impression during the One-day International series in South Africa with the senior squad, conceded 5.5 runs per over and picked up just two wickets.

West Indies never really threatened to win the match after losing the first four wickets for 54 runs with Indian opening bowler Gaurav Dhiman taking three. They were eventually bowled out for 157 in 39.1 overs despite the valiant efforts of Assad Fudadin (51) and Jonathan Augustus (33) during a partnership of 63 for the fifth wicket.

Abhishek Sharma, however, finished them with four quick wickets. In the Plate Championship, Australia won their second straight match with a nine-wicket thrashing of their neighbouring minnows Papua New Guinea, while Scotland scraped to a two-wicket win over the plucky Nepal side with only one ball to spare.

Results of matches on Tuesday:

Super League:

At Fatullah Cricket Stadium, Dhaka:

Sri Lanka beat South Africa by 29 runs.

SRI LANKA 277-5 in 50 overs (W.U. Tharanga 117, N.P. Navela 56, G.T. de Silva 42, C.K.B. Kulasekera 32 not out; K. Africa 3-49);

SOUTH AFRICA 248 in 48.3 overs (J. Booysen 120, R. van der Merwe 36, V. Philander 30; M.F. Maharoof 4-49, M.M.M. Suraj 2-33).

At Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka (D/N):

India beat West Indies by 96 runs.

INDIA 253-9 in 50 overs (S. Raina 66, A.T. Rayudu 47, K.K.D. Karthik 46, R.K. Solanki 33; R. Rampaul 2-55);

WEST INDIES 157 in 39.1 overs (A.B. Fudadin 51, J.C. Augustus 29, L.M.P. Simmons 27; A. Sharma 4-28, Gaurav Dhiman 3-26, S. Raina 2-23).

Plate Championship:

At Chittagong Divisional Stadium:

Australia beat Papua New Guinea by nine wickets.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA 83 in 35 overs (V. Kila 32; J.P. Mangan 4-30, M. Henriques 2-10, C.S. Huckett 2-13);

AUSTRALIA 85-1 in 18.2 overs (T.P. Doropoulos 34; T.D. Paine 26 not out).

At M.A. Aziz Stadium, Chittagong:

Scotland beat Nepal by three wickets.

NEPAL 200-9 in 50 overs (S. Vesawkar 51, M. Shrestha 29, S.P. Gauchan 25; G. Goudie 3-37, C.R. Anderson 2-30, M.M. Iqbal 2-34);

SCOTLAND 204-7 in 49.5 overs (M.M. Iqbal 67, S. Weeraratne 34 not out, K.J. Coetzer 25; R. Rauniyar 2-32).

Wednesday's fixtures:

Super League: England v Zimbabwe (Bangladesh Sports Institute, Savar); New Zealand v Pakistan (Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, D/N).

Plate Championship: Bangladesh v Uganda (Chittagong Divisional Stadium); Ireland v Canada (M.A. Aziz Stadium, Chittagong).-Agencies

Points Table

Following are the standings at the ICC Under-19 World Cup after Tuesday's matches (tabulated under played, won, lost, no result, tied, points, net run-rate):

Super League

Group I

India 2 1 1 0 0 2 +0.93

Sri Lanka 2 1 1 0 0 2 +0.10

South Africa 2 1 1 0 0 2 -0.26

West Indies 2 1 1 0 0 2 -0.77

Group II

Pakistan 1 1 0 0 0 2 +1.95

England 1 1 0 0 0 2 +1.94

New Zealand 1 0 1 0 0 0 -1.94

Zimbabwe 1 0 1 0 0 0 -1.95

Plate Championship

Group I

Australia 2 2 0 0 0 4 +3.82

Scotland 2 1 1 0 0 2 -1.88

Nepal 2 1 0 0 0 2 +0.40

PNG 2 0 2 0 0 0 -1.89

Group II

Ireland 1 1 0 0 0 2 +2.46

Bangladesh 1 1 0 0 0 2 +1.27

Canada 1 0 1 0 0 0 -1.27

Uganda 1 0 1 0 0 0 -2.46

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