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- Australia vs England, U19 World Cup 2026 1st Semi-Final Live Score
Australia vs England, U19 World Cup 2026 1st Semi-Final Live Score
Teams:
Australia U19 (Playing XI): Will Malajczuk, Nitesh Samuel, Steven Hogan, Oliver Peake(c), Alex Lee Young(w), Jayden Draper, Aryan Sharma, Hayden Schiller, Naden Cooray, Will Byrom, Charles Lachmund
England U19 (Playing XI): Ben Dawkins, Joseph Moores, Ben Mayes, Thomas Rew(w/c), Caleb Falconer, Ralphie Albert, Farhan Ahmed, Sebastian Morgan, James Minto, Manny Lumsden, Alex French
Oliver Peake: We probably would have batted as well for the same reasons, but we bowled first majority in this tournament and feel comfortable doing so. (Conditions) Definitely a bit lower and slower than Namibia. So, it's taken a bit of getting used to, but we had Harare and a few good training days here. So we feel ready to go. (Message to the team) Same as what we've really had for the whole tournament, to be honest, just keep enjoying it. Every opportunity is a cool one. And, we've got no pressure on us. There's nothing to lose. It's just about enjoying ourselves and seeing what we can do. Will Byrom comes in for Ben Gordon.
Thomas Rew: We're going to bat first. We've had a bit of experience in this ground, so I think we're going to try and use that to the best of our ability today and look to go and post a good score. (Conditions) A bit of inconsistent bounce throughout the day. Usually gets a little bit worse, spins and we'll look to set the tone early. (Preparation) We had a rest day after the game and then a couple of training days just to prep for this. We're feeling good. Just one change. Alex Green is ill and Alex French comes in.
Pitch Report | Lydia Greenway and Andy Flower: "Beautiful conditions here in Bulawayo. It's pitch four today, which was the pitch used in the England-Bangladesh game. In terms of the temperatures, lows of 17, highs of 28. There's not too much of a breeze at the moment. The sun's been beating down on the square for the last week. And what that means is it's a very, very dry pitch. And I want to just point out a couple of patches on the pitch here. We've got the straw grass in the middle of the pitch, but in amongst that, there are some of these really dry patches. And what that means for us is that it's going to be inconsistent. It's not going to be a flat Queen's pitch. So I reckon that the four-seamer, the two-spinner balance is going to be absolutely crucial. Seam up front, attacking with the new ball, and then there's going to be spin, both for the spinners and for the slower balls for the seamers. So tricky batting conditions, I reckon. And maybe not the huge scores above 300 that we might have expected. One thing is for sure, it's going to be an absolute cracker."
Charles Lachmund to Joe Moores, Almost chopped it on! Honing in on the off stump, on a length. Joe hangs his bat out with no real conviction. Gets an inside edge that sneaks past the stumps and goes behind on the leg side. They cross.
Charles Lachmund to Joe Moores, Fullish, moving away in the air, Joe throws his hands at it but misses.
Charles Lachmund to Joe Moores, Angled in, on middle and leg. Moores flicks it to mid-wicket.
- Ben Mayes 0 (1)
- Joe Moores 0 (2)
William Byrom to Ben Mayes, A wicket-maiden from Bryon! Short and on off, Mayes gets on his toes and dabs it down on the off side.
One Ben is replaced by the other as Ben Mayes walks out to replace Dawkins.
William Byrom to Ben Dawkins, OUT! CAUGHT! A loose shot from Ben Dawkins and he has paid the ultimate price. In the corridor of uncertainty, on a back of a length. Ben stays on the back foot and fiddles away from the body. Gets an outside edge that goes low to first slip, where Oliver Peake stays low and snaffles it around his left ankle.
William Byrom to Ben Dawkins, Byrom bangs it into the strip, outside off, Ben walks across to fend it down. Miscues it off the shoulder of the bat on the leg side.
William Byrom to Ben Dawkins, Fuller and shaping away, outside off, Ben walks across and takes a couple of steps down the track before pushing it to cover.
William Byrom to Ben Dawkins, Another ball on a hard length, jagging back a touch, on off. Ben hops and taps it back on the strip.
William Byrom to Ben Dawkins, A play and a miss! Byrom bashes the surface and gets a bit of lift off the deck with a bit of away movement. Dawkins flashes at it but is beaten on the outside edge.
Lachmund switches to around the wicket.
- Joe Moores 0 (2)
- Ben Dawkins 1 (4)
Charles Lachmund to Joe Moores, Lachmund finds a bit of away shape, on the fuller side. Moores stabs it down on the off side.
Charles Lachmund to Joe Moores, Wide! Drags the length back but drifts down leg. Moores lets it be.
Charles Lachmund to Joe Moores, Too straight, too full, on the pads, Moores clips neatly but straight to mid-wicket.
Charles Lachmund to Ben Dawkins, Full and not much swing on this occasion, outside off, Ben pushes away from his body. Gets an outside edge down to deep third. Dawkins is off the mark with this single.
Charles Lachmund to Ben Dawkins, Wide! England Under-19 are underway with this extra. Lachmund goes searching for the inswinger but sprays a full ball, down leg. Ben misses out on the tickle.
Charles Lachmund to Ben Dawkins, Nails the yorker, right at the base of the off stump. Ben gets his bat down and digs it out.
Charles Lachmund to Ben Dawkins, Nearly sneaked through! Tailing back in a long way, on a length, on off, Dawkins extends his hands out in front for the drive. He is lucky that he managed to squeeze out an inside edge onto the pads.
Charles Lachmund to Ben Dawkins, Whoa! Lachmund looks to pitch it up in search of some swing. This is around the off stump. Dawkins is taken aback by the full toss and arches back to glide on the bounce to the slip cordon.
We are done with everything and the focus now shifts to cricket. The English openers, Ben Dawkins and Joe Moores, are out in the middle to open the innings. Charles Lachmund is all set with the ball in his hands to set the stage on fire for Australia Under-19. Dawkins to face the first ball. Two slips in place. Here we go!
We're going to bat first. We've had a bit of experience in this ground, so I think we're going to try and use that to the best of our ability today and look to go and post a good score. (Conditions) A bit of inconsistent bounce throughout the day. Usually gets a little bit worse, spins and we'll look to set the tone early. (Preparation) We had a rest day after the game and then a couple of training days just to prep for this. We're feeling good. Just one change. Alex Green is ill and Alex French comes in.
We probably would have batted as well for the same reasons, but we bowled first majority in this tournament and feel comfortable doing so. (Conditions) Definitely a bit lower and slower than Namibia. So, it's taken a bit of getting used to, but we had Harare and a few good training days here. So we feel ready to go. (Message to the team) Same as what we've really had for the whole tournament, to be honest, just keep enjoying it. Every opportunity is a cool one. And, we've got no pressure on us. There's nothing to lose. It's just about enjoying ourselves and seeing what we can do. Will Byrom comes in for Ben Gordon.
"Beautiful conditions here in Bulawayo. It's pitch four today, which was the pitch used in the England-Bangladesh game. In terms of the temperatures, lows of 17, highs of 28. There's not too much of a breeze at the moment. The sun's been beating down on the square for the last week. And what that means is it's a very, very dry pitch. And I want to just point out a couple of patches on the pitch here. We've got the straw grass in the middle of the pitch, but in amongst that, there are some of these really dry patches. And what that means for us is that it's going to be inconsistent. It's not going to be a flat Queen's pitch. So I reckon that the four-seamer, the two-spinner balance is going to be absolutely crucial. Seam up front, attacking with the new ball, and then there's going to be spin, both for the spinners and for the slower balls for the seamers. So tricky batting conditions, I reckon. And maybe not the huge scores above 300 that we might have expected. One thing is for sure, it's going to be an absolute cracker."
We're all set for the pre-match formalities. The teams stride out behind the match officials and get lined up on either side of the officials for their respective national anthems. It will be England's first, followed by Australia's.
Charles Lachmund is buzzing with excitement - The Aussie pacer shares that they watched the India vs Pakistan game to learn about the local conditions, which differ from those in Namibia or Harare. Lachmund is thrilled with his wicket-taking performance and credits the team's bowling attack and calm captaincy for putting them in a good position. Mentions that he is looking forward to the captain's insights before the game.
A quick word - England's Ben Mayes says it feels brilliant to be in such form and credits the backing of his teammates for helping him score runs. He describes the tournament as a phenomenal event and is delighted to be able to continue his good form. According to Mayes, there is a strong belief within the group that any individual can win a game single-handedly, and even when someone is doubting themselves, the team rallies around them. Reflecting on his favourite moments of the tournament, Mayes points to England’s opening win against Pakistan as a standout. Although he did not make a major contribution with the bat, he says it felt very special given the magnitude of the contest heading into the competition. Speaking about the Under-19 pathway, he says it is inspiring to see how many players progress from the Lions setup into the senior England team, describing it as a clear stepping stone. He points to Jacob Bethell’s journey from the 2022 Under-19 World Cup to becoming a key player for England as a prime example.
PITCH REPORT - Lydia Greenway notes that pitch 4 will be used today. Adds that this is the same surface that was used for the England-Bangladesh game. Andy Flower joins her, and he says that the sun has been beating down on this strip, leaving the wicket very dry. Observes some straw-coloured grass in the centre, but given the dry patches around it, he feels that the surface will be inconsistent in terms of the bounce. He expects the batting conditions to be tricky and does not expect it to be a high-scoring game.
The captain of Australia Under-19 - Oliver Peake says they would have batted first as he feels there is a bit of inconsistent bounce and might stay low compared to Namibia, and admits they have to adapt to the conditions quickly. Reckons they are ready for this match. Expresses that they want to do what they have done so far in this tournament, enjoy every opportunity. Informs that William Byrom comes in as the only change.
The captain of England Under-19 - Thomas Rew has decided to bat first, citing previous game experience at the venue as a factor in their decision. He noted inconsistent bounce throughout the day and expected the pitch to spin, making it beneficial to set the tone early. Rew also mentioned that the team is feeling good after a rest day and training sessions, and there's just one change in the team with Alex Green being replaced by Alex French.
England Under-19 (Playing XI) - Ben Dawkins, Joe Moores, Ben Mayes, Thomas Rew (C/WK), Caleb Falconer, Ralphie Albert, Farhan Ahmed, Sebastian Morgan, James Minto, Manny Lumsden and Alex French (In for Alex Green).
Australia Under-19 (Playing XI) - Will Malajczuk, Nitesh Samuel, Steven Hogan, Oliver Peake (C), Alex Lee Young (WK), Jayden Draper, Aryan Sharma, Hayden Schiller, Naden Cooray, William Byrom (In for Ben Gordon) and Charles Lachmund.
TOSS - The flip of the coin comes down in favour of Thomas Rew. England Under-19 elect to BAT first.
Match Statistics
Venue
Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
