Sangha stars with bat and ball as Australia try to salvage horror U19 world cup

Potchefstroom:  Australia will face the West Indies in the under-19 Cricket World Cup fifth-place playoff after they defeated Afghanistan by four wickets in South Africa - with one ball to spare.

Tanveer Sangha starred for Australia with bat and ball, taking 4-41 with his legspin as Afghanistan were restricted to 7-191 batting first at North West University Oval.

Jake Fraser-McGurk has been unlucky in South Africa.Credit: ICC

Australia lost two early wickets and survived a a middle-order collapse of 4-23 to chase down the total with just one ball to spare.

Sangha (46 not out from 40 balls) combined with Patrick Rowe (22 not out) for an unbeaten 72-run, seventh wicket stand to steer Australia home. Sangha finished the match with a six on the penultimate delivery.

Opener Sam Fanning top scored for Australia with a patient 62 off 107 balls.

The Australians will play West Indies, to whom they lost to in the group stage, at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Friday.

Tanveer Sangha starred with bat and ball in the Australians' win over Afghanistan.

The Australians' campaign has been best by poor luck and controversy, with two wickets in that opening match coming as the result of run-outs at the non-strikers end due to ricochets of the bowler.

Then, several players were accused of casual racism after qualifying for the quarter-finals against India.

India eliminated Australia from the main part of the tournament in that quarter-final, with highly rated batsman Jake Fraser-McGurk run out for a diamond duck.

Fraser-McGurk was then sent home for medical treatment after being scratched on the face by a monkey prior to that match.

In between, the Australians kept England out of the playoffs with a rousing last-ball win.

AAP