The 1998 MTN ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup was an international limited-overs cricket tournament played in South Africa from 11 January to 1 February 1998. Sponsored by the MTN Group, it was the second edition of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, coming ten years after the inaugural tournament in 1988, and the first to be held in South Africa.
Sixteen teams participated at the 1998 World Cup, up from only eight at the previous edition. After an initial group stage, the top eight teams played off in a super league to decide the tournament champions, with the non-qualifiers playing a separate "plate" competition. The tournament was won by England, which defeated New Zealand in the final to win its first and only title. New Zealand have failed to reach the final since then, whilst England have qualified for the final in 2022 but lost to India. Matches were held at venues around the country, though primarily in the interior, with the main final held at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. West Indian batsman Chris Gayle led the tournament in runs, while his teammate Ramnaresh Sarwan and Zimbabwe's Mluleki Nkala were the joint leading wicket-takers.Batting and fielding in MTN Under-19s World Cup 1997/98 (ordered by runs) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 November 2015.Bowling in MTN Under-19s World Cup 1997/98 (ordered by wickets) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
Teams and qualification
The twelve ICC members that had qualified their senior teams for the 1999 World Cup also automatically qualified their under-19 teams for the 1998 Under-19 World Cup. Of those teams, nine were Test-playing countries and three were ICC associate members.John Stern, "MTN Under-19 World Cup" – Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1998. Retrieved from ESPNcricinfo, 10 November 2015.
The other four teams were invited to the tournament based on criteria set by the ICC – unlike at later editions, only one regional qualification tournament, the 1997 Youth Asia Cup, was played.
Pool stage Pool A Pool A was known as the Bradman Pool, after former Australian batsman Sir Donald Bradman. Team 3 3 0 0 0 6 +2.896 3 2 1 0 0 4 +0.795 3 1 2 0 0 2 –2.901 3 0 3 0 0 0 –1.058 Source: CricketArchive
Pool B Pool B was known as the Cowdrey Pool, after former English batsman Sir Colin Cowdrey. Team 3 3 0 0 0 6 +2.887 3 2 1 0 0 4 +0.488 3 1 2 0 0 2 +0.618 3 0 3 0 0 0 –4.569 Source: CricketArchive
Pool C Pool C was known as the Gavaskar Pool, after former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar. Team 3 3 0 0 0 6 +1.729 3 2 1 0 0 4 +1.775 3 1 2 0 0 2 –1.320 3 0 3 0 0 0 –2.413 Source: CricketArchive
Pool D Pool D was known as the Sobers Pool, after former West Indian all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers. Team 3 2 1 0 0 4 +1.905 3 2 1 0 0 4 +0.526 3 2 1 0 0 4 +0.159 3 0 3 0 0 0 –2.910 Source: CricketArchive
Plate competition The plate competition was contested by the eight teams that failed to qualify for the Super League. Pool A Pool A was known as the Magiet Pool, after South African administrator Rushdie Magiet. Team 3 3 0 0 0 6 +1.594 3 2 1 0 0 4 +0.156 3 1 2 0 0 2 +0.255 3 0 3 0 0 0 –2.027 Source: CricketArchive
Pool B Pool B was known as the Procter Pool, after former South African all-rounder Mike Procter. Team 3 3 0 0 0 6 +2.930 3 2 1 0 0 4 +1.424 3 1 2 0 0 2 –0.406 3 0 3 0 0 0 –3.733 Source: CricketArchive
Plate Final
Super Eights Pool A Pool A was known as the D'Olivera Pool, after former England international Basil D'Oliveira. Team 3 2 1 0 0 4 +0.475 3 2 1 0 0 4 +0.174 3 2 1 0 0 4 +0.056 3 0 3 0 0 0 –0.645 Source: CricketArchive
Pool B Pool B was known as the Pollock Pool, after former South African batsman Graeme Pollock. Team 3 2 1 0 0 4 +1.243 3 2 1 0 0 4 +0.488 3 2 1 0 0 4 –0.040 3 0 3 0 0 0 –1.760 Source: CricketArchive
Final
Future senior players
Future players that featured for their national team in the tournament were:
Team Future senior cricketersAppearanceTestODIT20I James Hopes -8412Michael Klinger - -3Marcus North212 - Al Sahariar1529 -Ehsanul Haque16 -Fahim Muntasir33 -Hannan Sarkar1720 -Manjurul Islam1734 -Mehrab Hossain918 -Mushfiqur Rahman1028 - Amjad Khan1 -9Freddie Klokker - -13 Owais Shah67117Paul Franks -1 -Rob Key155 -Chris Schofield2 -4Graeme Swann607939 Mohammad Kaif13125 -Virender Sehwag10425119Laxmi Shukla -3 -Harbhajan Singh10323628Reetinder Sodhi -18 - Ed Joyce17818 Thomas Odoyo -13611Josephat Ababu -9 -Jimmy Kamande -8612Collins Obuya -10472David Obuya -7410Francis Otieno -4 - Bjorn Kotze - 5 -Stephan Swanepoel - 5 -Riaan Walters -2 - James Franklin3111038Peter Ingram283Hamish Marshall13663James Marshall7103Bruce Martin5 - -Peter McGlashan -411Kyle Mills1917042Lou Vincent231029Regan West -105 Hasan Raza716 -Imran Tahir2010738Bazid Khan15 -Abdul Razzaq4626532Inam-ul-Haq11 - -Humayun Farhat15 -Shoaib Malik35287124 Grant Elliott58317Michael Lumb -327Gulam Bodi -21Jon Kent -2 -Victor Mpitsang -2 -Robin Peterson157921Jacques Rudolph4845 -Morne van Wyk -178 Malinga Bandara8314Prasanna Jayawardene586 -Thilina Kandamby -335Chamara Silva117516 John Blain -336Gregor Maiden -33Fraser Watts -3611 Sylvester Joseph513 -Chris Gayle10330179Daren Ganga4835 -Ryan Hinds1514 -Marlon Samuels7120467Ramnaresh Sarwan8718118 Mark Vermeulen943 -Dion Ebrahim2982 -Neil Ferreira1 - -Greg Lamb1155Alester Maregwede211 -David Mutendera19 -Mluleki Nkala10501
References
External links Series home at ESPN Cricinfo