After a groundbreaking month in the Rainbow Nation, which saw emerging nations take their place at cricket’s newest top table, the event has delivered a fitting finale between two well-matched sides.

They took contrasting paths in their respective semi-finals, but both will be fully aware that a significant slice of history now beckons for the team that can deliver one more telling performance on Sunday.

India played perhaps, their most clinical cricket in dismantling New Zealand by eight wickets in the first semi-final, with wickets for Parshavi Chopra, fine fielding and yet more runs for the red-hot Shweta Sehrawat at the top of the order.

Skipper, Shafali Verma, will ask for a repeat of that dosage in the final because that will certainly give India a sincere shot at glory. Standing in their way, however, is the only unbeaten team left in the competition.

England had to draw on all their reserves of fortitude to outlast Australia in a cliffhanger of a second semi-final, eventually prevailing by three precious runs. Captain, Grace Scrivens, had the final say as she took the final Aussie wicket amidst unbearable tension.

England’s batters had produced their tamest display of the tournament, but this is a well-drilled side across all disciplines. Only once in this World Cup have England conceded more than 100, and that was 103 against Pakistan.

They are miserly and measured when they need to be, and there is plenty of variety to test India’s top-order. England will be fully aware that the powerful Richa Ghosh has been waiting to truly express herself in this competition, and she would love nothing more than to do that in the final.

Both teams have quality spin to call upon, especially on a surface that has been taking more and more turn as the tournament has worn on. Hannah Baker was at it again in the semi, snapping up three scalps to heap the pressure on Australia.

Chopra and Mannat Kashyap have been just as mesmeric for India, and the contest may well come down to which set of slow bowlers settles into their work best.

It is an occasion crying out for an individual to put their stamp on proceedings and deliver their country the first-ever ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup trophy.

Play at the JB Marks Oval starts at 13h45 (SAST). Entrance is free of charge.

With thanks to the ICC

The four teams still in with a chance in South Africa are Australia, England, India and New Zealand.Their paths to the semi-finals were not all straight and even. The Aussies had a frightful scare when Bangladesh, the early heroines of the tournament, saw them off by seven wickets. To counter that, they have the comfort of knowing they have already beaten another semi-finalist, India. As the Super Sixes were completed, the Bangladeshis’ win over UAE meant they matched the Australians in everything except that vital element, net run-rate. So near and yet…Among the lucky 44 to be selected for these final stages there will be an enviable collection of talent. A special few have already reached the pinnacle of the game; only time will tell which of the others will join them there.

Australia

Unlike many of the other teams in the tournament Australia has been supporting Under 19 cricket for twenty years. Only they and India can boast of cricket forming a central part in the sporting firmament of their nation. But then, it means that expectations are higher too. At their best they are a match for anyone, but their bowling strength has meant they have only once passed 150.

Their results:

Australia 130-5; Bangladesh 132-3
USA 64; Australia 65-1
Australia 159-5; Sri Lanka 51
India 87; Australia 88-3
UAE 107-8; Australia 109-4

India

India (Photo: ICC)

India take their cricket more seriously than most. In preparation for the World Cup they arranged two tournaments, against New Zealand (five T20s) and South Africa (six T20s).

With such a vast population and devotion to the game it’s unsurprising that a player like Richa Ghosh could be picked to represent her country at the age of sixteen. Their captain, Shafali Verma, is a second celebrated test player. But like Australia their performances have been vulnerable. Just look at the gap between their highest tournament total (219-3) and their 87 against the Aussies.

Their results:

South Africa 166-5; India 170-3
India 219-3; UAE 97-5
India 151-4; Scotland 66
India 87; Australia 88-3
Sri Lanka 59-9; India 60-3

New Zealand

New Zealand (Photo: ICC)

The Kiwis represent the other end of the graph: a small population, and a devotion to cricket that comes a poor second to rugby. But these days New Zealand sides consistently punch above their weight. The Under 19 squad’s performances have been very impressive.

It may prove to have been a disadvantage that they bowled out four successive opponents for low totals. It means that their batters have rarely been placed under pressure. When they did bat first, they mounted a reassuringly big total against Pakistan.

They have a massive challenge coming up as they face India. In that warm-up tournament they lost 5-0 to them, a real psychological barrier to overcome.

Their results:

Indonesia 74-7 NZ 77-0
Ireland 74; NZ 75-1
West Indies 68; NZ 72-0
Rwanda 95-7; NZ 99-6
NZ 178-7; Pakistan 75-7

England

England (Photo: ICC)

The England U19s can boast an even longer pedigree than Australia, the ECB creating a team of this age-group in 2000.

With new structures and competitions in place, it’s little surprise that the squad of 15 has a relatively high average age with plenty of experience of big match-days.

I still can’t believe that the coaches failed to suggest the benefits of batting second in at least one match. Perhaps Grace Scrivens will win every single toss.

Rather like New Zealand’s approach to their game with India, the question of a possible psychological barrier must be faced. Whenever England beat the Aussies at cricket, it’s worth an extra national bank holiday. Now, when was the last one?

‘Stuff and nonsense!’ you may reply. These are young players unencumbered by history. They are playing on neutral territory, they are unbeaten (unlike Australia) and have seen off all their opponents with something to spare.

Well, that’s fine then. But who once said ‘Cricket’s a funny game’?

Their results:

England 199-4; Zimbabwe 23
England 179-4; West Indies 84-8
England 156-7; Pakistan 103-5
England 183-5; Rwanda 45
England 207-2; Ireland 86

Deductions

These figures tell conflicting stories:

First, the wide margins of victory were inevitable once the ICC took the brave and correct decision to allow sixteen nations to take part. Some were not even full members, Rwanda and UAE for example are Associate Members. But how else do you encourage the spread of the game?

Second, the very brevity of the games adds to the unpredictability of results. Any one player may find herself having to forsake all she has been taught in the urgent need to hit the next three balls for six.

The Officials

At this intermediate stage it’s fitting to list the officials who have overseen proceedings unobtrusively and sympathetically:

The Match Referees

Vanessa Bowen, Owen Chirombe and Niamur Rashid.

The Umpires

Maria Abbott, Sarah Bartlett, Sarah Dambanevana, Jasmine Naeem, Kerrin Klaaste, Wayne Knights, Candace la Borde, Lisa McCabe, Ahmed Shah Pakteen, Sharfuddoula Saikat, Virender Sharma and Dedunu Silva.

The umpires, like the players, were put through intensive courses to bring them up to scratch.

The next Tournament

Details of the second World Cup are already known.  It will take place in Malaysia and Thailand in 2025. That’s what you call breaking new ground.

Many of the participants in South Africa will still be young enough to qualify for that follow-up. What an advantage that will give them and what an experience for teenagers!

What does he think he knows?

0n 23 January I offered this line-up for England’s Eleven to take on the might of Australia:

Scrivens, Heap, Holland, Perrin, Seren Smale, Macdonald-Gay, Groves, Anderson, Sophia Smale, Stonehouse and Baker.

We must wait till Friday to see how wrong I was.

In the case of the inaugural Under 19s World Cup let’s hope the more regulations there are, the less confusion they will bring. Which is another way of saying: the regulations for the Super Sixes take up several lengths of parchment. Somebody did a lot of deep thinking about all the permutations possible in a game of cricket.

Terms like NRR (net run-rate) are easily understood if you’re lucky enough to be a maths scholar.

The one positive in using North Western South Africa as the base is the lack of rain. In the past that has caused a lot of pain to teams suffering its effects.

By the end of the Super Sixes (two groups of six = twelve teams), the top two in each qualify for the semi-finals. The highest placed in each group meets the second placed from the other group.

As of 23 January the two tables look like this:
Group One           Points

India                             6
Australia                     4
South Africa               4
Bangladesh                4
Sri Lanka                    0
UAE                             0

Group Two

England                    6
New Zealand           6
Pakistan                   2
West Indies             2
Rwanda                   2
Ireland                     0

Plenty of fixtures remain, but the likeliest semi-finalists already stand clear at the top of the two groups: India, Australia, England and New Zealand.

No great surprise there, only disappointment that a less predictable face couldn’t shine through. Bangladesh had achieved the seemingly impossible by beating Australia in the curtain-raiser, but maintaining the highest standards is another matter.

Exposure to the big time will now be one of the decisive considerations. Of those four only the New Zealanders will be lacking; that is, playing in major competitions, in front of large crowds and inquisitive cameras. But your average Kiwi is made of tough material.

If you can trust cold statistics, then take a look at the one the analysts love above all, NRR. At least it reveals who is scoring the most runs at the crease while conceding the fewest in the field.

Here England stand head and shoulders above their rivals:

England +5.200
New Zealand +4.160
India +2.844
Australia +2.210

Now the comeback: so much depends on the comparative strength of all six sides in a single group. In Group B England and NZ had things all their own way. In Group A competition was tighter.
Here’a second approach, the totals the four sides have reached:

Australia 130; 65-1 (to win); 159-5; 88-3 (to win); 109-4 (to win)
England 199-4; 156-7; 183-5; 207-2
India 170-3; 219-3; 151-4; 87
New Zealand 77-0 (to win); 75-1 (to win); 72-0 (to win); 99-6 (to win)

NZ’s totals show clearly the drawbacks of a competition like this. Only once has their batting been put to the test. If their bowling attack demolish every opponent for under 100 every time, they’d be laughing all the way to the trophy. But they haven’t been properly tested yet.

The selectors saw the problem and radically altered the batting-order for their fourth game, against Rwanda. But now only Emma Mcleod produced the goods with 59; six wickets fell in short order as they chased another total under 100.

At the other extreme, India have put up three large scores, only to succumb cheaply to the Aussies.

It’s no surprise to see batting openers dominating the scene. Under 19s haven’t reached the stage where the selectors can refine their batting order. The strongest bats tend to open proceedings.

The biggest contest at that level must come between India’s Shweta Sehrawat and Shafali Verma and England’s Grace Scrivens and Libby Heap. All four have been in rich form.

Of those four likeliest finalists Australia have already beaten India by seven wickets. That may appear decisive, but it’s perfectly possible for the wheel to turn the other way, espcially in the T20 format.

England and New Zealand have not yet met. At least that adds anticipation to a potential contest.

The Pitches

The question of the pitches to be played on must rear its head. Three venues have been used: the North-West University Oval and the JB Marks Oval, both in Potchefstroom, and two grounds at Willowmore Park, Benoni.

The unrelenting sequence of games has put a huge strain of the curators and their staffs to ensure each match is played under optimum conditions – or, in this case – above optimum conditions. Previous tournaments of a similar size have revealed shortcomings. Pitches have got slower and slower.

Curators have not had the time and space to ensure the best possible preparation for every game.
The good news is, up to now this tournament has proved a triumph for groundsmanship.

With stakes at their highest, nobody wants to see unlucky dismissals caused by an irregular bounce.

We of the Extra B XI may be all used to such conditions; teenagers playing for their nation must be spared them.

The four last matches are all destined for the JB Marks Oval: England’s game with the West Indies, then the semis and the final.

A Reminder

The semis take place on Friday 27 January; the final on 29 January

With the group stages now completed, the ICC Under19 Women’s T20 World Cup is heating up, as twelve teams move on to the Super Sixes stage. Sixteen teams arrived in South Africa, with Scotland, United States of America (USA), Zimbabwe and Indonesia eliminated from the tournament proper.

Those four teams, who have each contributed to this inaugural tournament in unique fashion, will get an opportunity to bid farewell to South Africa on Friday, 20 January.

USA will face Scotland, while Zimbabwe and Indonesia lock horns in a final bid to leave the tournament on a high. Those will be the final fixtures in Benoni, as the Super Sixes and the decisive clashes will be hosted in Potchefstroom.

Qualification for the Super Sixes is determined by log standings. Each team in the Super Sixes takes the points won against the other qualifiers in their group through to the Super Sixes stage.

Group A winners Bangladesh, England (Group B), New Zealand (Group C) and India (Group D) are all moving onto the next stage with maximum points (4). Runners up Australia (Group A), Pakistan (Group B), West Indies (Group C) and South Africa (Group D) each take two points with them into the Super Sixes, by virtue of beating the third-placed teams.

Those teams are: Sri Lanka (Group A), Rwanda (B), Ireland (C) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (D). Each of these teams are in the Super Sixes but start this next phase with no log points.

Qualifiers from the original Group A and D will play in one Super Six group, while Groups B and C are now paired together for this next stage.

Teams will face opposition from groups they were not in but will not play against those who finished the group stage in the same log position. Therefore, Group winners Bangladesh (A) and India (D) will not play against each other, though they are in the same Super Sixes group.

The same applies for runners-up such as Pakistan (B) and West Indies (C), who are now in one group, but will not face each other.

Each team will play two fixtures in the Super Sixes, with the top two sides in both groups qualifying for the semi-finals on 27 January.

The final is scheduled for 29 January.

Fixtures:

20 January

USA v Scotland (10am)
Zimbabwe v Indonesia (1:45pm)

Super Sixes:

21 January

Ireland v England (10am)
Rwanda v New Zealand (10am)
Bangladesh v South Africa (1:45pm)
India v Australia (1:45pm)

22 January

India v Sri Lanka (1:45pm)
West Indies v Rwanda (1:45pm)

23 January

UAE v Australia (1:45pm)
Pakistan v Ireland (1:45pm)

24 January

New Zealand v Pakistan (1:45pm)
South Africa v Sri Lanka (1:45pm)

25 January

England v West Indies (1:45pm)
UAE v Bangladesh (1:45pm)

27 January

Semi-final 1 (10am)
Semi-final 2 (1:45pm)

29 January

Final (1:45pm)

With thanks to the ICC