In a dominant display at Queen’s Sports Club in Bulawayo, England crushed New Zealand by 65 runs to storm into the semi-finals of the Under-19 World Cup 2026. The star of the show was spinner Manny Lumsden, who ripped through the Kiwi batting lineup with sensational figures of 5 wickets for just 17 runs in 6.5 overs, earning him the Player of the Match award.
England, batting first after losing the toss, posted a challenging 234 for 7 in their 50 overs. Openers Ben Dawkins and Joseph Moore laid a solid foundation with a 48-run stand in 12.3 overs before Moore departed for 20. Dawkins anchored the innings with a gritty 42 off 62 balls, featuring five boundaries, partnering with Ben Mays for another 48 runs.
Mays steadied the ship with a classy 53 off 70 balls, including five fours, while Caleb Faulkner chipped in with 47 runs laced with three boundaries. New Zealand’s Mason Clarke and Snehit Reddy picked up two wickets apiece, but couldn’t stem the flow.
Chasing 235, New Zealand collapsed to 169 all out in 38.5 overs. They lost four wickets for just 64 runs early on, and despite a fighting 48-run stand between Callum Samson (14) and Reddy (47, with a six and two fours), they never recovered. Jaskaran Sandhu made 26, but it wasn’t enough.
Lumsden’s magical spell dismantled the middle order, with Sebastian Morgan grabbing two wickets. England becomes the first team from Group 2 to qualify for the semis. Australia and Afghanistan have advanced from Group 1, while Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe are eliminated. India and Pakistan battle for the last spot on February 1 in a high-stakes clash.