TANZANIA's U-19 cricketers, Karim Kiseto and Laksh Bakrania, have improved their quest for the best batsman and bowler prizes in the ongoing ICC U-19 Men's Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier Division 2, given they are so far some of the showdown's best performers.

Kiseto is, until now, the top run-getter in the tournament after amassing 281 runs in three innings. Even though he has yet to end the innings with an unbeaten stint, Kiseto has turned out to be a reliable cricketer for the tournament hosts, when it comes to batting.

In his scintillating stint, the promising batsman has posted two half-centuries and one century, blasting 26 fours and five sixes.

His best performance with the bat saw him garner an impressive 133 runs when Tanzania's U-19 cricket side defeated Mozambique by a comprehensive 353 runs on Tuesday.

Nigeria's trio of Femi Oresenwo (107 runs), Ali Rahmon (105 runs), and Gafar Kareem (88 runs) are sitting second, third, and fourth in the race, and Tanzania's Mohamed Simba is hot on the Nigerians' heels after garnering 87 runs to stay fifth.

Bakrania is lately sitting second in the Best Bowler honour race - having collected 10 wickets in three ties. The talented player has given away 47 runs and has a 2.54 economy rate.

In his best bowling showing, the performer ended with 4-11 when Tanzania faced Ghana last Sunday, grabbing a 162-run win over the latter.

Ghana's skipper Lee Nyarko is leading the Best Bowler race having collected 11 wickets, Sierra Leone's Raymond Coker (nine wickets), Nigeria's Okasha Isiyaku (eight wickets), and Botswana's Aryan Abin (eight wickets) sit third, fourth and fifth in the prize's battle.

Nyarko's hopes of laying his hands on the Best Bowler prize though are up in smokes, as Ghana, slotted in Group B, has already missed out on booking a place in the last four.

Tanzania's U-19 cricketers showcased an exceptional performance at the University of Dar es Salaam ground, securing their place in the semi-finals with a commanding victory over Ghana last weekend.

Opting to bat first, Tanzania set a formidable target of 215 runs in 35.4 overs, thanks to Kiseto’s explosive 91 runs off 82 balls and a solid 47 runs off 52 balls by Dylan Thakrar.

Ghana's bowlers, led by Nyarko with 4-60 and David Ateak with 3-21, struggled to contain the opponents' batting onslaught.

In response, Ghana crumbled under the relentless pressure from Tanzania’s bowlers.

Fast opening bowler Khalidy Amiri set the tone by picking three wickets in the fifth over, with one more wicket falling in the same over due to a run-out, reducing Ghana to 7-5 after five overs.

Despite this, Aariz Sood and Bernard Neequaye provided some resistance, forming a 41-run partnership that was the saving grace for Ghana’s innings.

Bakrania was outstanding, claiming 4-11 in just 2.3 overs, while Khalidy Juma took 4-18 in 6 overs. Ghana's U-19 cricketers were bowled out for a mere 53 runs in 16.3 overs.

This victory not only secured Tanzania's semi-final berth but also highlighted Kiseto as the top run-getter of the tournament so far.

Kiseto, the Player of the Match award's winner, said: "I want to thank the Almighty and my fellow players. The camaraderie in the team is good, and that's why the results are showing. I am disappointed not to convert this innings into a century, but the most important thing is the team won."

Nyarko, Ghana's skipper and leading wicket-taker in the tournament, remarked: "Today we didn’t play good cricket, but we will show it in the next game. So we have to wait and see."

In the showpiece's tie at the Gymkhana ground, Nigeria delivered a record-breaking performance, setting the tournament's highest total with 362/8 in 50 overs against Mozambique.

Hossana Omokhobio led the charge with a well-crafted 69 runs off 95 balls, supported by Peculiar Egamasi’s 53 runs off 48 balls and a quickfire 45 off 32 balls by Gafar Kareem.

Mozambique U-19 team's bowlers, despite their best efforts, could not stem the flow of runs.

Eugenio Azine and Charles Mbebe were the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-58 and 2-58, respectively. In reply, Mozambique’s batting lineup collapsed under immense pressure, managing 48 runs in 18.5 overs.

Antonio Laice, the Mozambique captain, was the only player to reach double digits, scoring 20 off 44 balls.

Kareem’s brilliant all-round performance continued as he took 3-10, and Isiyaku supported well with 3-16. Nigeria won by an astounding 314 runs.

Kareem, who received the Player of the Match award, said: "The plan to bat first was good as it was a flat wicket and there was a good chance of scoring big runs. We have a crucial game against Ghana, and we aim to carry this momentum forward."

Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and hosts Tanzania are battling it out in the showpiece.