England, Afghanistan qualify for U19 WC semifinals

England, Afghanistan qualify for U19 WC semifinals

England remained unbeaten in the Under-19 World Cup, sealing their place in the semifinals with a 65-run victory over New Zealand in Bulawayo. Batting first on a challenging surface, England posted 234/7, with Ben Mayes scoring 53 and Caleb Falconer adding 47. Farhan Ahmed's late cameo of 29* off 23 balls boosted the total.

In reply, New Zealand struggled early, reduced to 64/4 after a needless run-out and two wickets from Manny Lumsden in one over. Snehith Reddy fought back with 47, but his dismissal ended New Zealand's resistance. Lumsden finished with 5/17, bowling New Zealand out for 169 in the 39th over.

Brief scores: England 234/7 in 50 overs (Ben Mayes 53, Caleb Falconer 47; Snehith Reddy 2/28) beat New Zealand 169 in 38.5 overs (Snehith Reddy 47; Manny Lumsden 5/17) by 65 runs.

Faisal Khan's extraordinary century powered Afghanistan to a historic 191-run win over Ireland, securing their semifinal spot. Khan smashed 163 off 142 balls, forming a mammoth partnership with Mahboob Khan, who scored 89 off 79 deliveries, propelling Afghanistan to 315/7.

Ireland's chase faltered early, collapsing to 21/3, with Abdul Aziz taking two quick wickets. Despite a brief recovery led by Marko Bates (34), Ireland crumbled from 108/5 to 124 all out, bowled out in the 41st over.

Brief scores: Afghanistan 315/7 in 50 overs (Faisal Khan 163, Mahboob Khan 89; Reuben Wilson 3/52) beat Ireland 124 in 40.4 overs (Marko Bates 34; Abdul Aziz 3/21) by 191 runs.