Australia captain Oliver Peake expresses confidence in his team's progress at the U-19 World Cup after a six-wicket Super Six win over South Africa. A strong bowling display set up the victory, moving them closer to the knockout stage.
Australia captain Oliver Peake believes his team is 'building in the right direction' at the ICC Men's Under-19 World Cup, coming off yet another win in Namibia and moving a step closer to the knockout stage.
Aussies Secure Dominant Super Six Victory
Four matches in Windhoek and now four wins, with their most recent victory the perfect way to commence their Super Six charge, as per the ICC website. Australia sealed a six-wicket triumph over South Africa, completing their run chase with relative ease and no shortage of overs to spare.
The Aussies got home in the 33rd over after their bowling unit produced a high-quality display in the first innings to help set up the win. Openers Charles Lachmund (3/29 off seven overs) and William Byrom (2/16 off five) impressed once again, while Hayden Schiller, Kasey Barton and Aryan Sharma all got among the wickets as well. The attack dismantled South Africa at the Namibia Cricket Ground, all out for 118 inside 33 overs.
Captain Praises 'Well-Balanced' Attack
"The bowling has come a really long way from the first practice match to now, and that was showcased again today," Peake said post-game.
"(The bowlers) have started really strong. I feel like the bowlers all complement each other really nicely. Obviously (Lachmund) swings them back in, and then (Byrom) is the other way and then (Schiller) and (Barton) come in through the middle and bowl with good pace and aggression. Then we've got the class of (Sharma) and (Will Malajczuk) with the spin if needed. So, I feel like we're a really well-balanced attack at the moment and going really strong," he added. "The wicket was pretty challenging, and it was sort of a bit up and down and a little bit inconsistent, but it presented a new challenge, and if you hit the right areas for long enough, you generally got a wicket ... so that's probably the way the game unfolded."
Valuable Contributions in Run Chase
Australia were so dominant in the group stage that their middle-order had barely been required. So it was viewed as a positive that the run chase drew on contributions from the top order.
Alex Lee Young and Jayden Draper both made unbeaten 21s to seal victory against the South Africans, helping prepare the team for another deep tournament charge. "It was good to get a few other people a hit as well," Peake continued. With every game, it feels like we're building in the right direction."
Looking Ahead to West Indies Clash
Australia, next up, face the West Indies, embracing the challenge of taking on another team that has so far impressed throughout the tournament.
"To play against the West Indies will be a new challenge and something I'm sure we'll be up for. I feel like there's probably no better time to start coming up against the strong teams, as we feel like we've got plenty of momentum at the moment, and hopefully we can continue that on," said Peake. (ANI)
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