Aussie U19s romp into World Cup final

A powerful Jack Edwards half-century has helped Australia make light work of a tricky run-chase against Afghanistan to storm into the Under 19 World Cup Final. 

Edwards hit 72 from 65 balls to back up the effort from the bowlers, lead by Jonathan Merlo's four wickets, for a comprehensive six-wicket win at Christchurch's Hagley Oval.

The Australians lost an early wicket but a 77-run partnership for the third wicket between Edwards, named player of the match, and captain Jason Sangha (26), broke the back of the run chase.

Edwards was put down early, a simple catch dropped at point, and the tall New South Welshman made Afghanistan pay, going on the attack and hitting three fours in the next over against Azmatullah. 

He then showed no fear against the many variations of spinner Mujeeb Zadran to smash him for a pair of sixes over deep extra cover in the eighth over to put the Aussies on course. 

Fellow opener Max Bryant middled a drive off Mujeeb but hit it straight to mid-off to be the first man to fall before Edwards and Sangha put on their partnership.

The Australia captain fell caught-and-bowled off a slower bowler for the second match in succession, while Merlo added a quick 17 before he slashed at a short and wide ball only to get a faint knick behind.

Edwards fell soon after, getting a bottom edge on an expansive drive off the spin of Qais Ahmad that went back onto his stumps.

Param Uppal hit an unbeaten 32 and Nathan McSweeney added 22 not out to steer the green and gold side home with more than 12 overs to spare.

Merlo was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 4-24 from his 10 overs as the Afghanistan teenagers were bowled out for 181 in 48 overs having struggled to put together partnerships. 

Afghan No.3 Ikram Ali Khil top scored with 80 from 119 balls but fell with 10 overs remaining to rob their innings of momentum at an important stage. 

The Afghanistanis had won the toss and opted to bat first, a decision that suited the Austraians with captain Jason Sangha indicating he would have bowled had the coin fallen his way. 

It was a wayward start for the Aussies with Ryan Hadley sending down a couple of wides, but the early nerves soon disappeared. Zak Evans made the inital breakthrough to have Ibrahim Zadran caught by Hadley on the fence. 

Rahmanullah was the first of three catches down the leg-side for wicketkeeper Baxter Holt as Merlo picked up the next four wickets to fall. However Darwish Rasooli may consider himself unlucky to have been given out leg before on 2 to a ball that appeared to be angling down the leg side.

The dangerous Azmatullah was removed by Hadley for one, before Edwards claimed the key scalp of Ikram (80) with the first ball of the 41st over. 

Will Sutherland had Qais Ahmad (8) caught down the leg side with the batsman, unhappy with the decision, departing inspecting his forearm. 

Lloyd Pope, the flame-haired leg-spinning destroyer of England, took some stick from the Afghanistanis in his first spell, but returned to deliver a perflectly flighted wrong'un that spun back through the gate and castle the middle stump of Naveen-ul-Haq (8). 

Some late hitting from Mujeeb Zadran (12*) and Zahir Khan (8) added a quick-fire 20 before Austin Waugh, on as a sub-fielder, took the final catch to give Evans his second wicket.

Australia last played Afghanistan at under-19 level in a 2014 World Cup group-stage clash, losing by 36 runs.

The Aussies last won the under-19 title in 2010, and were runners-up two years later to India in Townsville.

They finished fourth in 2014, and then skipped the 2016 tournament in Bangladesh for security reasons.

Monday's result ended a fairytale run for Afghanistan, who backed up last year's Asian Cup success with the country's first semi-final appearance in any global top-tier cricket tournament, earned when they flogged New Zealand by 202 runs last week. 

Australia U19s: M Bryant, J Edwards, J Sangha (c), J Merlo, P Uppal, N McSweeney, W Sutherland, B Holt, Z Evans, R Hadley, L Pope

Afghanistan U19s: I Zadran, Rahmanullah, I Ali Khil, B Shah, N Wahdat, D Rasooli, A Omarzai, Q Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Zadran, Z Khan