The Men’s U-19 World Cup 2026 saw some great encounters on Wednesday, with England and Afghanistan winning emphatically. Ben Mayes smashed a historical knock as England thrashed Scotland, while spinner Nooristani Omarzai bowled a miraculous spell to rampage through Tanzania and lead Afghanistan to a thumping win.
Ben Mayes Scripts History in Men’s Under-19 World Cup
Playing in Harare, Ben Mayes from England scored an innings of 191 runs off just 117 deliveries, which shattered an England record in Youth ODIs. However, just one run shy of the record for the highest individual innings in an Under-19 World Cup, it ranked second. England, asked to bat first, scored 404 massive runs, their batting order dominating the Scottish attack from the very outset.
Mayes and Moores Build Match-Winning Partnership
Mayes stitched together a scorching partnership of 188 runs with Joseph Moores in the second wicket, which came off a mere 129 balls. England reached the first power play with a string of 75 runs, with Mayes starting aggressively right from the beginning.
He reached his half-century in only 33 balls and continued to thrash the bowlers, including some very unorthodox reverse sweeps. Mayes reached his ton in 65 balls, and after being dropped on 118, he made Scotland pay a heavy penalty for that mistake. Moores got dismissed for 81 runs in the 25th over; however, the damage had already been done by that time.
England Finish with 404 as Scotland Struggle in the Chase
Mayes’ batting included 18 fours and eight sixes. For Scotland, none of their players could manage to get some momentum. Even after not losing any wickets in the first power play, they could score only 33 runs.
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There was a massive collapse that ensued for Scotland, who went from 38/0 to losing four wickets for 14 before being bowled out for 152 in 44.5 overs.
Finlay Carter top-scored for Scotland, hitting 34, while Caleb Falconer, Manny Lumsden, and Ralphie Albert claimed the seven wickets for England. England finished the group stages of the Men’s Under-19 World Cup unbeaten in the tournament, with three wins out of three.
Omarzai’s Five-Wicket Haul Crushes Tanzania
In yet another one-sided encounter in the ongoing Men’s Under-19 World Cup, Afghanistan continued their dream run by annihilating Tanzania. Afghanistan’s fast bowler Nooristani Omarzai bowled an incredible spell, bagging five wickets just conceding 9 runs, as Tanzania lost their wickets in the process being bowled out for just 85 runs.
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Tanzania struggled right from the beginning as they could manage only 14 runs in their powerplay, losing two wickets, with two maiden overs being bowled.
Afghanistan Bowlers Cause Collapse Despite Brief Resistance
Though Augustino Mwamele and Captain Laksh Bakrania contributed 35 runs for the fourth wicket, Tanzanian resistance did not last long. From 66/3, they collapsed in dramatic fashion, losing the next seven wickets for 19 runs in just over seven overs. Off-spinner Uzairullah Niazai picked up two vital wickets, including Bakrania. Only three members of the Tanzanian batting lineup reached double figures.
Shinozada Finishes Chase in Style
Afghanistan lost early with the departure of player Khalid Ahmadzai but did not have much hope in the chase either. It was Faisal Shinozada who dominated the run chase with 34 off 23.
He stayed not out on 55 from 34 balls, hitting nine fours and a six, as Afghanistan chased down the target with nine wickets in hand and 224 balls left.
Men’s Under-19 World Cup Group Stage Update
This emphatic victory kept Afghanistan at the top of the group standings, as they have already beaten South Africa and West Indies earlier in the tournament. England also moved ahead with excellent momentum, whereas Scotland ended their group campaign with two losses and one washout.
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