CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand, South Africa and Afghanistan became the first teams on Wednesday to qualify for the Super League round of the ICC Under-19 World Cup, while West Indies lost their title they won in 2016 after suffering a second straight league-round defeat.

New Zealand openers Jakob Bhula and Rachin Ravindra lit up the Hagley Oval as several records were broken during the Group ‘A’ match against Kenya which the hosts won by a huge margin of 243 runs.

Bhula’s astounding innings of 180 from 144 balls with 10 fours and five sixes was the highest individual innings in the history of U19 ODIs, while his 245-run first wicket partnership with Ravindra (117) was the best-ever opening stand in U19 CWCs.

His knock bettered the previous highest individual score of 179 not out by Australia’s Theo Doropoulos against England in 2003. The previous highest in U19 CWCs was 176 by West Indies’ Donovan Pagon against Scotland in 2002.

Ravindra matched Bhula stroke-by-stroke as he clubbed eight fours and three sixes in an entertaining 101-ball 117.

The opening wicket partnership set the tone for more onslaught as Finn Allen joined the party with a belligerent 40-ball 90 (eight fours and six sixes) that resulted in New Zealand notching a mammoth 436-4, the second highest total in ICC U19 Cricket World Cup. The highest tally was made by Australia, who plundered 480 for six, also against Kenya in 2002.

In the other Group ‘A’ match, Wandile Makwetu scored a run-a-ball 99 not out and paceman Hermann Rolfes took four wickets to help 2014 champions South Africa oust West Indies by 76 runs at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. The result meant New Zealand and South Africa progressed to the Super League after two successive wins, while the West Indies and Kenya will now feature in the Plate Championship.

Elsewhere, Afghanistan defeated Sri Lanka by 32 runs to become the first side to qualify for the Super League from Group ‘D’. This result means the winners of Pakistan-Sri Lanka fixture on Friday in Whangarei will qualify for the Super League.

Australia coasted to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe to notch up their first win in Pool B. On Friday, Australia will take on Papua New Guinea and India will meet Zimbabwe, and if both Australia and India win their matches, they will qualify for the Super League.

Wednesday’s results:

At Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui: South Africa beat West Indies by 76 runs.

SOUTH AFRICA 282-8 in 50 overs (W. Makwetu 99, J. Pillay 47, G. Coetzee 29, K.T. Smith 22, J. de Klerk 21); WEST INDIES 206 in 45.3 overs (A. Athanaze 76, K.A. Kallicharan 44, K. Melius 24, K. Simmons 20; H. Rolfes 4-33, G. Coetzee 2-21, J. de Klerk 2-21).

At Cobham Oval, Whangarei: Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka by 32 runs (D/L Method).

AFGHANISTAN 284-7 in 50 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 86, Darwish Rasooli 63, Ikram Ali Khil 55, Nisar Wahdat 25, Azmatullah Omarzai 20; L.N. Malinga 2-56, T. Rashmika 2-64); SRI LANKA 202 in 37.3 overs (J.K.C. Daniel 48, K.S.W. Arachchige 41, K.N.A. Bandara 38, P.H.K.D. Mendis 32; Naveen-ul-Haq 4-35, Qais Ahmed 2-37, Azmatullah Omarzai 2-37).

At Lincoln No 3: Australia beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets.

ZIMBABWE 134 in 33.2 overs (R.T. Chimhinya 27; X. Bartlett 3-20, W. Sutherland 2-21, L. Pope 2-31); AUSTRALIA 135-3 in 18.2 overs (M. Bryant 44, J. Edwards 40, J.S.S. Sangha 30).

At Hagley Oval, Christchurch: New Zealand beat Kenya by 243 runs.

NEW ZEALAND 436-4 in 50 overs (J.J.N.P. Bhula 180, R. Ravindra 117, F.H. Allen 90, D.N. Phillips 26 not out); KENYA 193-4 in 50 overs (A.R. Gandhi 63, T.O. Ochieng 39 not out, A. Desai 28, S.R. Bhudia 27 not out, S. Singh 21; R. Ravindra 2-33).

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2018