Afghanistan and England confirmed their places in the semi-finals of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026 after dominant victories in their respective Super Six matches on Friday, joining Australia in the final four of the tournament.
Afghanistan produced one of the most commanding performances of the competition, thrashing Ireland by a massive 191 runs in Harare. The star of the show was Faisal Khan, who played a magnificent knock of 163 off 142 balls, the highest individual score by an Afghan batter in U19 World Cup history. His innings, laced with 18 fours and a six, rescued Afghanistan from early trouble after they slipped to 27 for 2. Faisal then stitched together a crucial 75-run stand with Uzairullah Niazai before adding a match-defining 188-run partnership with captain Mahboob Khan, who scored a brisk 89. Afghanistan finished with an imposing 315 for 7.
Ireland never looked comfortable in the chase and were bowled out for 124. Marko Bates and Reuben Wilson showed some resistance, but Afghanistan’s bowlers, led by Abdul Aziz (3/21) and Aqil Khan (3/36), ensured a one-sided contest.
England, meanwhile, sealed their semi-final berth from Group 2 with a disciplined 65-run win over New Zealand in Bulawayo. After being put in to bat, England posted a competitive 234 for 7, built on steady contributions from Ben Dawkins, Ben Mayes, and Caleb Faloner. New Zealand’s chase faltered under pressure, with Manny Lumsden delivering a match-winning spell of 5 for 17 to bowl them out for 169.
Australia had already qualified earlier, while the remaining semi-final spot will be decided in Sunday’s high-stakes clash between India and Pakistan, effectively a virtual knockout match.
