Afghanistan are denied a place in the last four while England ease past Zimbabwe to book a meeting with Sri Lanka in the ninth-place playoff
Here we go again.
We are barely a year removed from the controversial Mankad which saw Ravi Ashwin dismiss Jos Buttler in the Indian Premier League.
An alternative stage this might have been, but it was no less important for the two sides involved.
Pakistan were 127 for 3, with plenty of time ahead of them to deliver the victory which would send them into the last four. They had just lost Fahad Munir for two, but there was no reason to panic.
Afghanistan meanwhile had to come up with something. Having set a sub-par target of 190 they needed to bowl Pakistan out to stand any chance to remaining in contention for the title.
Noor Ahmad had already caused plenty of issues with his googly, which Pakistan's players were failing to pick.
But he decided to bamboozle the two-time winners in an altogether different way later in the same over in which he had extracted Munir.
Mid-way through his action he noticed Mohammad Huraira, who had cut a figure of calm through his 64 from 76 balls, out of his crease and duly knocked off his bails.
Bangladesh join the semi-final party while the wait goes on for Nigeria and Japan
The TV umpire adjudged that Huraira's dismissal was consistent with Law 41.16 and that he was right to be given out.
Given the tensions between the two nations both on and off the field, it was a gamble veiled in gumption which could have sparked a diplomatic incident.
The Ashwin-Buttler episode last March caused widespread debate over what constituted the spirit of cricket, despite the act being within the rules of the sport.
There was a discernible difference between the mechanics of both episodes, however, with Ashwin almost taunting Buttler before he knocked his bails off.
Ahmad meanwhile completed the dismissal in his delivery stride, almost without breaking it. It was an instinctive act which caught out a batsman obviously trying to gain an unfair advantage.
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But what it proves above all else is that despite the tournament hashtag #FutureStars, this remains an event all about winning. Development is all well and good, but the euphoria and a sense of achievement is a far more tangible feat.
Credit should go to Pakistan for rallying and completing the tricky run-chase. Qasim Akram and Mohammad Haris put on 63 for the fifth wicket to set-up a much-anticipated meeting with India.
This is the ninth time Pakistan have reached the last four in 13 tournaments, and are braced for an eighth meeting with the old enemy.
It is a meeting that is set against the growing political and cricketing tensions between the two nations. India are threatening to boycott the Asia Cup in Pakistan while they face missing out of qualification for the Women's World Cup after refusing to organise matches against their rivals in the Women's Championship.
How much those themes bleed into an Under-19 clash remains to be seen but you'd be foolish to miss it.
The sharp end of the Under-19 World Cup is approaching
"We will try not to be emotional and will play with a clear mind because when players are emotional, they tend to lose their control and are not able to focus on the match properly," said Afghanistan coach Raees Ahmadzai.
Afghanistan's young pretenders didn't go off the rails in Benoni, but at times it was a performance which smacked of desperation.
While batting, several shots were snatched at. Pakistan's bowlers were far more canny, mixing up lengths and speeds in an effort to frustrate their opponents. The surface at Willowmoore Park wasn't exactly producing exceptional carry but neither was it a bowler's graveyard.
Pakistan took that considered display into their batting. They went at a run-a-ball in the first 10 overs, building the foundation for a solid chase.
Distress started to dominate the Afghan display. Appeals turned from pleas to demands. Players were on their hands and knees, hoping for the opinion of the umpire to go their way.
Ahmad was impressive but others failed to come to the party. Fazal Haque and Abdul Rahman struggled with the new ball. Ibrahim Zadran's had to wait for his opportunity but lacked potency.
The Mankad of Huraira might have been perfectly within the rules, but it showed what Afghanistan had to do to yield regular breakthroughs. It would be the last wicket to fall in the match, ironically.
Pakistan kept their nerve to book their semi-final place
England have forced their way into the battle for ninth in the World Cup after overcoming Zimbabwe. It was the third win of a campaign which will instead be better remembered for their two group stage defeats to West Indies and Australia.
Captain George Balderson did at least try and change the narrative with one for the best individual performances of the competition so far.
Not in trouble by any stretch, but England were in some difficulty at 214 for 6, when Lewis Goldsworthy was run-out for just six.
Manchester-born Balderson will have learned plenty about himself during this competition, certainly as a captain, but he had a rare chance to express himself with the bat, hitting 45 from 30 deliveries to push his side towards 286 for 9.
And with his first-choice discipline, he inspired a much-needed victory. He got rid of Milton Shumba and Dion Myers in successive overs before completing the win by bowling Tadiwanashe Nyangani.
It sets up a meeting with Sri Lanka in the Plate Final on Monday in Benoni. Ending a campaign which has far from gone to plan on a winning note is now the aim.
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