Pakistan squeaked past Bangladesh on the second last ball Wednesday to go through to the quarter-finals of the Under 19 Cricket World Cup in Palmerston North. The group D clash was the key to settling the final two spots in the weekend quarter-finals, with the four wicket victory ensuring Pakistan won the group and second-placed West Indies also qualified.

Bangladesh scored 250-5 but it was not quite enough, with Pakistan scrambling to victory on the second-last ball of their 50 overs after 15-year-old opening batsman Muhammad Babar top-scored with 91. In the battle of the group B heavyweights in Queenstown, South Africa beat Australia in another nail-biter, reaching their target with only two balls remaining. Australia scored 276-7, with Jason Flores hitting 96 and Alex Keath 64, before Dominic Hendricks led the South African charge with 94.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010