England have booked their place in the ICC U-19 World Cup final after a strong 27-run victory over Australia in the semi-final clash on February 3. A brilliant century from captain Thomas Rew helped England seal a memorable win in Bulawayo.
Batting first, England posted 277 for seven in their 50 overs. After the early dismissal of Ben Dawkins (1), Rew hammered 110 off 107 balls. His knock included 14 boundaries and a six, at a strike rate of 103.80. Rew found good support from Caleb Falconer, who added 40 runs. Joseph Moores (25) and Ben Mayes (24) also contributed crucial runs, while Farhan Ahmed remained unbeaten on 28.
For Australia, Hayden Schiller and Naden Cooray picked up two wickets apiece. Will Byrom, along with Aryan Sharma, chipped in with one wicket each.
In reply, Australia fought hard but fell short by 27 runs. The defending champions were bowled out for 250, with captain Oliver Peake the standout performer after scoring 100 off 88 balls. Nitesh Samuel also contributed 47, while Aryan added 34 to the scoreboard, but the rest of the team failed to make a significant impact.
England were impressive with the ball, as Sebastian Morgan, James Minto, Manny Lumsden and Ralphie Albert claimed two wickets each. Farhan Ahmed and Alex French also chipped in with one wicket apiece, helping England seal the victory in 47.3 overs.
The final will be played on February 6 in Harare, where England will face the winner of the second semi-final between India and Afghanistan, scheduled for February 4.
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