U19 World Cup: Dominant England swat aside Bangladesh

England made a strong start to the Super Six stage with a dominant bowling performance, crushing Bangladesh by seven wickets at the Queens Sports Club. Opting to bat, Bangladesh were restricted to 136, a target England chased inside 25 overs.

Bangladesh's struggles began early, with Sebastian Morgan dismissing Zawad Abrar in the first over. A 46-run stand followed between Rifat Beg (31) and Mohammad Azizul Hakim Tamim, but once Beg fell, the innings collapsed. Only Mohammad Abdullah joined Beg in passing 20. For England, Morgan took 3 for 28, with Ralphie Albert and Manny Lumsden claiming two wickets each.

In reply, England lost an early wicket but Ben Dawkins (26) provided momentum. Captain Thomas Rew then anchored the chase, adding 78 for the third wicket with Ben Mayes (34). Rew remained unbeaten on 59 off 50 balls to seal the win.

Brief scores: Bangladesh 136 in 38.1 overs (Rifat Beg 31; Sebastian Morgan 3-28) lost to England 137/3 in 24.1 overs (Thomas Rew 59*, Ben Mayes 34) by seven wickets.

Sri Lanka kept their semifinal hopes alive with a nervy four-wicket win over Afghanistan in Windhoek. Chasing 194, they crossed the line with 19 balls to spare, guided by Chamika Heenatigala's unbeaten 22.

Batting first on a challenging surface, Afghanistan were held to 193. Opener Osman Sadat top-scored with 61, but regular wickets prevented acceleration. Sri Lanka's bowlers were disciplined, with Viran Chamuditha and Kugathas Mathulan taking two wickets each.

Sri Lanka's chase wobbled early, but partnerships from Dimantha Mahavithana (37) and Senuja Wekunagoda (43) provided a base. Afghanistan's spinners, led by Roohullah Arab (2-23), applied pressure. At 130/5, Heenatigala joined Dulnith Sigera (30) in a crucial 52-run stand to secure the victory.

Brief scores: Afghanistan 193 in 49.5 overs (Osman Sadat 61; Viran Chamuditha 2-20) lost to Sri Lanka 194/6 in 46.5 overs (Senuja Wekunagoda 43, Dimantha Mahavithana 37; Roohullah Arab 2-23) by four wickets.

Adnit Jhamb's unbeaten century powered USA to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Scotland in the 16th place playoff in Harare. Chasing 237, Jhamb's 116 off 93 balls steered his side home with 68 balls to spare.

Scotland, opting to bat, posted 236. Opener Theo Robinson anchored the innings with 83, supported by Manu Saraswat (41). USA's Ritvik Appidi led the bowling attack with a four-wicket haul.

USA's chase was built around Jhamb. After a steady start, he entered at 96/2 and forged a match-winning 129-run partnership with captain Utkarsh Srivastava (52). Jhamb's aggressive innings, featuring 17 fours and a six, overwhelmed the Scottish bowling.

Brief scores: Scotland 236 in 50 overs (Theo Robinson 83; Ritvik Appidi 4-54) lost to USA 239/3 in 38.4 overs (Adnit Jhamb 116*, Utkarsh Srivastava 52) by seven wickets.