England Under-19s crush Scotland by 252 runs as Ben Mayes dazzles with 191

HARARE (Dunya News) – England Under-19 on Wednesday continued their dominant run at the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 with a crushing 252-run victory over Scotland in Harare, registering their third consecutive win of the tournament.

A breathtaking century from Ben Mayes powered England to an imposing total before their bowlers dismantled Scotland’s chase well inside the allotted overs.

England remain unbeaten in the #U19WorldCup with a massive win over Scotland 

Watch match highlights  https://t.co/wOulP89IIG

— ICC (@ICC) January 21, 2026

After winning the toss in the 17th Group C match, Scotland opted to field, a decision that briefly appeared justified when Ben Dawkins was dismissed in just the third over. That early breakthrough, however, proved to be the lone moment of respite as England’s top order launched a relentless counter-attack on a flat Harare surface.

Joseph Moores and Ben Mayes combined to swing the momentum decisively in England’s favour, stitching together an aggressive 188-run partnership that tore through the Scotland bowling attack. Moores was the first to depart, scoring a fluent 81 from 65 deliveries, but his dismissal did little to slow England’s charge as Mayes continued to dominate.

Mayes produced a sensational innings of 191 from just 117 balls, an effort that included 26 boundaries comprising 18 fours and eight sixes. The 18-year-old’s knock equalled the record for the second-highest individual score in ICC Under-19 World Cup history and stood as the best-ever by an England batter in the tournament. He fell one run short of surpassing the all-time record held by Sri Lanka’s Viran Chamuditha.

Sebastian Morgan added late impetus with a rapid cameo, smashing 24 off 11 deliveries to push England beyond the 400-run mark. England eventually closed their innings on 404 for six from 50 overs, the highest team total recorded in the 2026 edition so far.

Scotland’s pursuit of a daunting 405-run target never gathered momentum. The pressure of the chase was evident early as openers Theo Robinson and Thomas Knight were dismissed in quick succession, leaving the side struggling to build a platform.

Finlay Carter, who top-scored with 34, and Max Chaplin, who made 22, offered brief resistance in the middle order. Theo Robinson added 19, while Jack Woodhouse contributed 18, but the required run rate continued to spiral out of reach. Scotland were eventually bowled out for 152 in 44.5 overs, handing England a commanding 252-run victory.

Group standings

The emphatic win ensured England finished top of Group C and secured a place in Group 2 of the Super Six stage. Scotland’s hopes of progressing now hinge on the outcome of Pakistan’s match against Zimbabwe, which will determine the final Super Six qualification places.