China all out for 9 against Afghanistan

New Delhi: This cricket scorecard read more like a telephone number written vertically. A Chinese U-16 team, playing the Asian Cricket Council's U-16 Challenge Cup 2012, was bowled out for all of 9 runs against Afghanistan, losing the match by 349 runs.

Batting second, the Chinese players appeared to be walking back to the pavilion in a line as no batsman managed to put up any resistance against a determined bowling attack. The statistics from the match made for a sorry image as six out of the nine runs scored were extras.

Chinese skipper Gaofeng Hu managed to claim two runs and was the highest-scorer in an innings which had two batsmen retire hurt after being struck on the foot by Naveen-ul-Haq. Six of the eight wickets to fall were bowled out with ul-Haq claiming five. Chinese batsmen lasted 8.4 overs before surrendering.

Afghanistan had already smashed their way with the bat and were bowling to defend a mammoth total. The Chinese team, reportedly, dropped seventeen catches on the field in front of fans in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. The Afghans though, could not have predicted the ease with which they eventually won the match.

In the past, the Chinese have hired foreign coaches to train budding cricketers in the country but against the Afghans in this particular match, no one reason could be provided for the utter collapse.

The country is an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council.