NewsRew, Mayes lead England to victory; Mahboob, Sadat star for Afghanistan against WI
Harare and East London – 18 Jan 2026
England U19s 209-2 (Rew 86, Mayes 77) beat Zimbabwe U19s 208-9 (Mudzengerere 45, Lumsden 3-38) by eight wickets
Afghanistan U19s 262-6 (Sadat 88, Mahboob 86) beat West Indies U19s 124 (Andrew 57, Omarzai 4-16) by 138 runs
England stroll past hosts
England’s youngsters barely broke sweat in Harare, chasing 209 with 22 overs spare to make it two wins from two. Skipper Thomas Rew and opener Ben Mayes put on an unbroken 167, the partnership arriving only five balls after England had slipped to 42-2.
“We wanted to be ruthless with the ball first and then calm with the chase,” Rew said afterwards. “That was pretty much how it panned out.”
Zimbabwe had been inserted and lost Nathaniel Hlabangana third ball. From there the innings never escaped England’s grip. Seamer Manny Lumsden nipped out three, while Alex French, Farhan Ahmed and Ralphie Albert chipped away whenever a stand began to take shape. All four Zimbabweans from No. 3 to No. 6 crossed 30 yet none went beyond captain Simbarashe Mudzengerere’s unbeaten 45.
Coach Mike Yardy praised the discipline: “It wasn’t spectacular cricket, just tidy lines and smart fields. That’s all you ask at this level.”
The chase was brisk. Rew’s fifty came in 30 balls, sealed with a six off Dhruv Patel. Mayes ticked along at a run-a-ball, and England rattled off 64 in the final seven overs, sending a sparse crowd home early.
Zimbabwe, whose opener against Scotland was washed out, now face Pakistan needing an upset and favourable results elsewhere. “We’ve played patches of good cricket,” Mudzengerere noted, “but patches won’t cut it in a World Cup.”
Afghanistan overpower West Indies
Over in East London, Afghanistan ensured their own safe passage by outclassing West Indies. Osman Sadat and Mahboob Khan produced contrasting half-centuries, adding 77 for the fourth wicket after a mid-innings wobble.
“Mahboob took the game away in ten balls,” Sadat said. “I just tried to bat around him.” His own 88 had set the tempo before Mahboob accelerated, 36 coming from his final 15 deliveries as the last ten overs yielded 79.
West Indies shuffled six bowlers inside 18 overs; Vital Lawes briefly stemmed the flow with three quick strikes but support never materialised.
Chasing 263, only Jewel Andrew – already capped at senior level – looked comfortable. The left-hander struck 57 off 70, but when off-spinner Wahidullah Zadran and seamer Nooristani Omarzai combined to remove four of the top six inside 11 overs the contest was done. Omarzai finished with 4-16, backed by Stanikzai’s left-arm spin.
West Indies coach Dwain Gill offered a blunt assessment: “We didn’t apply ourselves with bat or ball. That’s the truth.”
What it means
Both England and Afghanistan take maximum points into the Super Sixes, where net run-rate often looms large; finishing early and winning big will not harm their prospects. Zimbabwe’s margin of defeat leaves them relying on others, while West Indies must beat Scotland and hope Afghanistan do them a favour against the hosts.
Quick analysis
• England’s pace-off attack – Ahmed’s leg-spin, Lumsden’s cutters – looks suited to slower surfaces later in the tournament.
• Rew’s strike rotation, 33 singles in his 86, allowed Mayes to settle after early wickets fell.
• Afghanistan’s ability to surge at the death (7.9 an over in the last ten) contrasts with West Indies, who managed only 4.0 across their entire innings.
Statistic to note
Mahboob Khan’s 86 off 69 was Afghanistan’s fastest U19 fifty (54 balls) in World Cup play since Hazratullah Zazai in 2016.
Next fixtures
Zimbabwe v Pakistan – Harare, 20 Jan
England v Scotland – Harare, 21 Jan
West Indies v Scotland – East London, 22 Jan
Afghanistan v Pakistan – East London, 23 Jan
A long road remains, yet England and Afghanistan have taken care of the first checkpoint with minimal fuss – a handy trait in tournament cricket.
