COLOMBO, Feb 17: All-rounder Riaz Kail hit a half-century under pressure to set up Pakistan’s 163-run victory over Australia in the semifinal of the under-19 World Cup cricket tournament on Friday.

The lower-order batsman scored a solid 87 as defending champions Pakistan recovered from 80 for five wickets to reach a challenging 287 for nine wickets off their allotted 50 overs after electing to bat in the day-night match.

Australia failed to cope with Pakistan’s pace-spin combination and were bowled out for 124 in 32.3 overs.

Left-handed opener Usman Khawaja top-scored for Australia with a 69-ball 59, which contained eight fours.

Off-spinner Usman Malik, who came in as a super-sub, and left-arm spinner Imad Wasim each finished with three wickets, while left-arm seamer Jamshed Ahmed bagged two.

Pakistan will meet India in the day-night final on Sunday. India had beaten England by 234 runs in the first semifinal.

Man-of-the-match Kail earlier led Pakistan’s fightback with his maiden half-century of the tournament as he put on 160 for the sixth wicket with Ali Asad (66) after his team had lost five wickets for 80 runs.

Australian fast bowlers Moises Henriques and Adam Ritchard did the early damage when they grabbed two wickets apiece in their lively opening spells.

But Kail, who had managed just 38 runs in the last four matches, rescued his team with a big stand with Asad. He struck 10 fours in his 99-ball knock.

Asad hit one six and four boundaries in his 86-ball innings.

Henriques finished with three wickets, while fellow-seamers Ritchard and Simon Keen took two scalps apiece.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN Under-19s (50 overs maximum)

Nasir Jamshed st Wade b Ritchard 15

Mohammad Ibrahim c Wade b Ritchard 2

Ali Khan c Ritchard b Henriques 18

Rameez Raja run out 28

Anwar Ali c Finch b Henriques 1

Ali Asad c Ritchard b Keen 66

Riaz Kail b Keen 87

Sarfraz Ahmed c Cooper b Henriques 13

Imad Wasim not out 29

Jamshed Ahmed run out 2

Akhtar Ayub not out 2

EXTRAS (b 5, lb 4, w 11, nb 4) 24

TOTAL (9 wickets, 50 overs, 206 mins) 287

FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-26, 3-62 4-68, 5-80, 6-240, 7-241, 8-262, 9-284.

BOWLING: Henriques 10-0-58-3 (4nb, 3w), Ritchard 10-0-71-2 (2w), Cutting 4-0-25-0 (3w), Keen 10-0-46-2 (2w), McNamara 10-0-47-0, Holland 6-0-31-0 (1w).

AUSTRALIA Under-19s

TLW Cooper c Sarfraz b Jamshed 1

UT Khawaja run out 59

MC Henriques b Jamshed Ahmed 8

MS Wade run out 11

AJ Finch lbw b Imad Wasim 11

DA Warner lbw b Usman Malik 1

TD Stray c Anwar Ali b Imad Wasim 10

S Keen st Sarfraz Ahmed b Usman Malik 3

AM Ritchard b Usman Malik 1

JP McNamara not out 0

JM Holland lbw b Imad Wasim 0

EXTRAS (b 3, lb 6, w 5, nb 5) 19

TOTAL (all out, 32.3 overs, 145 mins) 124

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-20, 3-53, 4-99, 5-104, 6-109, 7-118, 8-122, 9-124, 10-124

BOWLING: Jamshed Ahmed 6-0-17-2 (1nb, 2w), Anwar Ali 10-0-45-0 (4nb, 3w), Akhtar Ayub 5-0-20-0, Usman Malik 6-2-17-3, Imad Wasim 5.3-1-16-3.—Agencies