इंग्लैंड अंडर-19 vs जिम्बाब्वे अंडर-19, मैच 10, ताकाशिंगा स्पोर्ट्स क्लब, हरारे, 18 January 2026 - कमेंट्री

Three wides! Runs needed under 10 now. Slower one, wide outside off, the batter leaves and the keeper gets a bad bounce. He fails to collect and the batters take two runs. 200 comes up for England.

Full in length, around off, Ben defends it off the front foot.

Pitched up and outside off, Mayes reaches out and strokes it to the left of mid off. They race across for a run. One shot away now.

Length delivery outside off, Rew crunches it through the gap at covers and comes back for the second run.

Goes short and outside off, Thomas Rew smashes it to deep cover for one.

Length ball on middle, Mayes moves across and works it to deep square leg for another couple of runs. Scores level.

ENGLAND WIN BY 8 WICKETS! Fuller in length and outside off, Mayes drives it calmly to mid off and rushes through for the winning run. Job done in style, a dominant finish from England Under-19 with 22 overs to spare. 

Full and outside off, Thomas Rew drives it straight to cover.

Outside off, Rew goes for the reverse sweep but misses and is hit on the pads. The keeper appeals for LBW but does not get it. Impact outside off.

Full and outside off, Thomas comes forward and looks to push and run to the off side but cannot beat the bowler.

Comes down the track this time and eases it to the on side. This time, the bowler gets to his right.

DROPPED. A full toss, on middle, Rew chips this towards mid on where the fielder dives to his left, but cannot hang on. Not that it would have mattered but one cannot be committing such mistakes at any level.

Short, outside off, Thomas Rew works it straight to mid-wicket. A MAIDEN, something positive for Zimbabwe.

FOUR! Mayes has picked up his scoring rate in the last few overs, overshadowing his captain. Short in length and outside off, Ben cuts it firmly through point and it scoots away to the fence, beating the desperate dive near the boundary line.

Short again, this time around off, Ben pulls it behind square leg for a run.

FOUR! Easy pickings. Full and drifting down the leg side, Rew helps it off his pads and neatly deflects it down to deep fine leg for a boundary. All too simple. 18 needed more.

SIX! Another mighty blow, nearly taking out the cameraman. Full in length and right in the slot outside off, Rew goes straight down the ground and plunders it cleanly over the bowler's head. A brutal hit. 150-RUN STAND IS UP, IN 114 BALLS!

Slower one, very full and outside off, it's stroked to deep cover for one.

Wide! Full toss, down the leg side, this time Mayes fails to get any bat behind it.

Swing and a miss! Short in length and wide outside off, slower in pace, Mayes is early with his attempt to cut it through point, misses. 17 from the over, England are 10 runs away.

On middle and off, Ben Mayes defends.

Full and straight, Mayes lunges to block.

Short, outside off, Ben goes back to punch but the ball spins back in a long way, cramping him for room. Takes the inside edge onto the pads.

On middle and leg, this time BM stays back and blocks.

Full and fast, on middle, Ben Mayes is hurried into his defense.

A Ravindra Jadejaesque over. Did it even last a minute? Short, on middle, Mayes punches it down to long on for a single. The stand moves to 140 (110).

Short and outside off, steered through backward point. The fielder chased and pulled it back before the fence. They get three runs.

SIX! More stand and deliver from Mayes. Short on off and he picks up the length early, hammer pulling it over mid-wicket for a maximum. England are flying now, motoring their way towards the target.

On middle, flicked to mid-wicket.

SIX! Dismissed! Another short ball, around off, once again Mayes gets into the position early and dispatches it over mid-wicket. 

Full and on off, Mayes drives it with a straight bat, down to long on and takes a couple.

A harmless short ball outside off, Mayes slaps it down to long off for one. Just 28 runs away now.

FOUR! Finally he connects. Rew has been trying to play the reverse but missed out a couple of times. Landed outside off, Thomas Rew gets down and reverse sweeps it to the left of backward point.

Fuller, outside off, Rew brings out another reverse sweep, this time towards deep point, for a single.

On middle and off, defended towards the bowler.

Fuller, around off, Ben Mayes walks into the shot and pushes it back towards the bowler.

WIDE. Down the leg side. Mayes goes for the sweep but misses. The keeper misses it too, to his left and concedes a bye. 49 more needed now.

Full, around off, Thomas sweeps it towards deep mid-wicket for a run.

The radar continues to be down the leg side. Another one there, BM sweeps it towards fine leg for a couple to take the stand to 121 (98).

FIFTY FOR MAYES, off 50 balls. Very full and around off, Mayes digs it out and it goes down to long on, for a run. Well played. 

Around off, on a length, it's defended off the front foot to covers.

Fullish and around off, Rew steps back to make room and drills his drive, only to find the cover fielder, again.

SIX! Just over the fielder. Full in length around middle, angling in, and Rew swings hard over the leg side. The mid-wicket fielder leaps near the rope but it sails over him. Inches either way, but the result is a maximum. In fact, the replays show that the fielder got fingertips on the ball. Great effort. 150 up for England.

On middle, pulled to mid-wicket for a run.

Delivers it on a length, around off, Ben goes hard at it and forces it down but finds mid off.

Full, outside off, Ben Mayes pushes this through mid on for a single.

A touch short now, outside off, Thomas Rew punches it towards long on for a run.

Short again, outside off, Mayes punches it down towards long on but this time, short mid-wicket gets in the way to his left to stop the ball.

Down the leg side, Ben goes back and works it through square leg for one.

Ooppss... Landed outside off, Rew looks to play the reverse sweep but is unable to get to the pitch of the ball. Gets a thick inside edge onto his pads.

And again. Another reverse sweep attempted. Another inside edge.

Wide! Loopy ball, full and way wide outside off. Mayes leaves.

Fuller and on middle, skidding in, Mayes tries to flick but gets a soft leading edge back to the bowler, all along the ground.

SIX! Stand and deliver. A length ball on middle, angling in, and Mayes holds his shape, brings the bottom hand into play and towers it over mid-wicket. Picked up and put away with disdain.

FOUR! Well timed and well placed. Very full around off and once again Mayes keeps a heavy bottom hand through the shot, driving it crisply through the covers. It races away, smiling all the way to the fence. Moves to 46!

Around off, punched to covers for one.

Full and on off, driven to covers. Dot.

APPEAL FOR A RUN OUT! It's referred upstairs. Length ball outside off and Rew slices it over backward point. They push hard for the second. The throw comes in to the keeper, wide of the stumps, and he has to gather before breaking them. Rew dives in and the replays confirm he is home. Sharp running and full commitment from the England skipper. The 100-run stand comes up!

Landed outside off, Ben Mayes defends it back to the bowler.

Fuller, outside off, Mayes reaches out and works it towards mid on.

Short, outside off, Ben goes back to cut but mistimes it back to the bowler, to his left.

Quicker, outside off, slightly short, BM comes forward to drive but misses. The ball hits something and the keeper collects. Goes up in an appeal for a catch but the response is a denial from the umpire.

Full, on middle, driven towards long on for a single.

Landed outside off, Thomas Rew brings out the reverse sweep but cannot beat point.

Pace off, short and wide outside off, Rew reaches out and cuts from the bottom part of his bat, finds extra cover.

Full toss on off and it has not been put away. Rew smashes it through the line but again finds the cover fielder.

Back of a length, outside off, this time Rew packs a punch and beats the cover fielder inside the ring. There is a sliding stop in the deep and they get a couple.

Copy paste of the previous ball. Patel continues to be short and outside off, Rew slaps it to deep cover and again the fielder makes a sliding stop in the deep. Two runs.

SIX! Fifty for the captain, off just 40 balls. Fuller in length around middle and Rew leans forward and across, whipping it off his pads and rifling it over mid-wicket for a maximum. A captain's knock, full of authority.

Leans on the front foot, to a length ball and pushes it to covers. 10 from the over, 82 needed more.

Full, around off, Thomas Rew works it towards square leg.

On middle, punched down towards the bowler.

Down the leg side, Rew looks to flick but the ball goes off his pads through fine leg. A couple of leg byes taken.

Full and down the leg side. Thomas goes for the sweep but gets a top edge. There is no soul catching there and the ball lands safely. Single taken.

On middle and leg, flicked straight to square leg.

And again. Flicks this straight to short mid-wicket.

Fuller and on off, Ben drives it off the front foot to extra cover.

Length ball on middle, Mayes goes back and hits it to long on, for a run.

A low full toss outside off, Rew stretches out and blazes it back past the bowler to long off. There is a good diving stop in the outfield and they get a couple.

Around off, on a good length, Rew defends it off his front foot. Some extra bounce there as it came from the shoulder of the blade.

Shortish and outside off, Rew slaps it down to wide long off, for a run.

Width again, outside off, Mayes cracks it off the back foot but finds the fielder at covers. Not a bad over from Dhruv.

Full, around middle, defended.

Down the leg side, Thomas Rew gets down on a knee and sweeps it towards fine leg for a single.

Around off, Ben Mayes drives it towards long on for a run.

Down the leg side, Rew nudges it towards square leg.

Around off, pushed towards cover.

Full, outside off, Thomas drives it through the covers for a couple. The runs required come into double digits. 99 more needed from 210 balls.

Benny serves a short ball, around leg, Mayes gets back and tucks it to square leg for a single. The fifty stand comes up, off 39 balls!

FOUR! Fine shot! Fuller and around off, Rew stretches forward as he goes down to sweep and clobbers it over square leg for a boundary. England continue to march in this chase.

Outside off, smashed to deep cover for one.

Wide! Skidding down the leg side, Mayes lets it be to the keeper.

Slower through the air, full and around leg, Mayes works it neatly through square leg and they pick up a couple. That brings up 100 for England, the second fifty coming in just 35 balls, largely thanks to Thomas Rew. 

SIX! Out of here! As soon as the bowler drops it short, Mayes goes deep inside the crease and hoists it handsomely over mid-wicket for a biggie. England are running away with the show, in some style.

Short and wide outside off, Ben cuts but finds the fielder at point. 15 from the over, 103 needed more.

Full, outside off, Thomas Rew drives it through the covers but Michael Blignaut dives at extra cover to his right to keep the batters to a single.

Around off, Ben Mayes works this through mid-wicket for a couple this time. 119 more needed from 226 balls.

Very full outside off, dabbed wide of slip.

Full and outside off, Mayes reaches out and defends it towards the off side.

The partnership is worth 49 now. Down the leg side, Ben goes back and nudges it behind square leg for a run.

Landed outside off, Rew hammers this straight back to the bowler who mimes a throw back.

Fired in, full and on off, Rew is forward in defense.

SIX! Rew is not holding back against the spinners. Full and flighted around off, the England skipper steps back, makes room and smokes it over long on. A massive hit, sailing into the other ground, it seems.

Tossed up, full and on middle, Thomas sweeps it to deep fine and takes a couple.

Extra flight, full and drifting in around middle, Rew presses forward and blocks.

Flatter and around off, Rew loses his shape but still swats it down to long off for a run. Moves to 30 off 19 balls, showing good intent.

Zuze drops it short and on middle, Mayes moves back and helps it on the leg side, but finds the fielder at square leg. 9 from the over, 122 needed off 228 balls.

Landed around off, Ben Mayes goes back and works it through square leg for a single.

FOUR! Wrongly lined. Down the leg side, Thomas Rew just tickles it fine. The outfield has gone pretty quick in the second innings and the ball simply races away. 139 more needed from 238 balls. 

Outside off, Rew lofts it inside out, over cover, but long off is stationed a bit wide and the ball is stopped. A run taken.

WIDE. Bad ball but what a sensational piece of fielding! That's four runs saved. Down the leg side, Mayes tries to flick but misses. The keeper gets to his left but is unable to stop it. However, the fielder at first slip is quick to react. He starts to run the moment he sees the batter look to flick, dives full stretch and with his left hand, stops the ball! Simply brilliant attitude.

Outside off, Mayes nudges this through mid-wicket for one.

Thrown up wide outside off, Thomas drives it to sweeper cover for one.

FOUR! Second of this over and England are motoring now. A real drag down. Down the leg side, Ben Mayes goes back and drags the pull behind square leg, beating the fielder to his left at deep backward square leg. That's 13 runs from the first over of spin in this innings.

Bowled full and around off, Thomas walks forward and defends it ahead of his front pad.

FOUR! That is a fine shot from the England skipper. The bowler drags it short and offers width outside off. Rew stays back, transfers the weight onto the back foot and blazes it through the covers. The boundary rider sprints to his right but never gets close.

FOUR! Rew is making full use of the fielding restrictions. Another short ball around off and the England captain stays back, this time choosing the other side of the ground. He pulls it powerfully over mid wicket and adds yet another boundary.

Width there, short and outside off, Rew cuts but this time to deep cover, only a run.

Tatenda continues to bowl short, outside off, this time Mayes cracks it from the back foot, towards sweeper cover, and rotates the strike.

Pitches it up and around off, Rew is forward as he defends it with an angled bat to point. A dot ball to finish the over, 10 from it. After Powerplay 1, England are 65/2, needing 144 off 240 balls.

On a length wide outside off, Ben Mayes lets it pass.

Full and around off, Mayes defends solidly towards cover.

Landed outside off, pretty full, Ben resists his temptation and lets it pass.

Back of a length, outside off, BM goes back and heaves it wide of long on for a single.

Full and outside off, Thomas Rew defends it solidly towards cover.

London looking, Harare turning. A short ball, outside off, Rew swivels for the pull but he has played so early that he has swung a full 180 degrees but the ball has still not come! Now it comes, when the bat has completed its 360 degree rotation and goes off the toe end towards backward point. A single taken.

That is defended solidly off the front foot.

A touch short in length, around off and angling away, Mayes goes on the back foot and pushes it defensively to covers.

Sliding down the leg side, full in length, Ben nudges it to deep fine and takes a run.

Chimugoro keeps it on a length and close to off, leaving the batter with the angle, Rew is on the front foot with an angled bat as he pushes it gently to point.

FOUR! Timing personified. Fullish around off, angling away, and Rew presses forward with a silky transfer of weight. He caresses it through extra cover and watches it race away to the fence. Pure aesthetics. Fifty up for England, 156 needed more off 253 balls.

Stays back to a length ball and punches it to covers.

On a length, outside off, defended down on the pitch.

Fuller, outside off, Ben Mayes leans and hammers the drive through cover but it is stopped in the deep. Just a single.

SIX! WHAM! On a length, around middle, angling away, Joe Moores gets on top of the bounce, picking the length early and with brilliant use of his bottom hand, whips it over wide long on! Might be only me, but Moores does remind me of Jacob Bethell.

OUT! CAUGHT! And now, I am reminded of Michael Atherton. Not because of the shot, but because of something said by the great man. This is an incident somewhere in 2024, when Australia had toured England for a white-ball series. Athers had just finished praising Bethell and on the next ball, the youngster threw his wicket away, to a pretty innocuous ball by Glenn Maxwell. 'Kiss of death', was his comment on air at that moment. Moores reminds me of that. We just praised him and on the next ball, he gifts it away. On a length, wide outside off, Moores slaps it uppishly, but straight to Nathaniel Hlabangana at deep point who does not have to move an inch! Excellent homework by Zimbabwe who saw England play against Pakistan. Great field settings. Moores departs for 19 (20) and England Under-19 are 42/2, needing another 167 runs from 260 balls.

Around off, punched off the back foot to get off the mark with a single.

FOUR OVERTHROWS, FIVE RUNS IN TOTAL! Mayhem. Full, outside off, Mayes drives it to the left of mid off. The fielder gets to the ball and without looking up, fires a throw at the bowler's end. Had he hit, Mayes might have been gone but he misses. Unfortunately for the fielder, there is no one backing up and the ball races all the way to the mid-wicket fence! A wicket from the over, but 13 runs from it as well.

Chimugoro targets the off stump with a length ball, Moores taps it towards covers, where the fielder dives to make the stop. The batters cross and complete the run safely as there is a direct hit at the keeper's end.

Full ball on the pads, Ben wrists it through mid-wicket and calls for two. He gets only a run though.

Superb fielding! Fullish and on off, angling in, Moores pushes it to extra cover where the fielder dives full length to his left and makes the stop.

Overthrows? Width there outside off, Joe smashes it through point and returns for the second run. The throw from the deep is wide and the keeper fails to collect. There is a chance for an overthrow but the batters don't go for it. Did that hit some part of Moores? Not sure. If it did, a good sportsman's spirit shown.

Gets behind the line of the ball and pushes it to covers.

Appeal for an lbw! There is an inswinger from Tatenda, on a length and around middle, Joe fails to work it across the line and is rapped on the pads. The appeal is not upheld. Perhaps, it has done too much and would have missed the leg stump.

On a length, around off, Ben Mayes defends.

Short and wide outside off, Mayes rises with the bounce and cuts but cannot get it past point.

Full and outside off, Ben comes forward and defends it solidly towards mid off.

WIDE. Third wide of the innings. all by Mazvitorera. Way outside off, BM does not want to let it go and slashes hard. Misses.

A long hop now, outside off, Ben Mayes goes for the pull now, but misses again.

Fuller, outside off, slower ball, with fingers rolled over it, Mayes comes forward, opens the face of the bat slightly, blocks it behind point, checks whether it is in the gap and then calls for the run. Gets two in fact.

Banged in short, outside off, Ben picks the length in trice. Hops in the air and swats the pull wide of mid on for another couple.

Back of a length, angling in towards off, Moores gets behind the line and defends it down.

Short in length again, outside off, Moores punches it but without much timing. Still, it has rolled in the gap at covers and they take a run.

Pitched up and on middle, shaping in a wee bit, Mayes is forward and brings his bat down just in time. He works it to the right of mid-wicket and opens his account with a single.

Chimugoro keeps his length full and around off, Joe is on the front foot as he defends it back in the direction of the bowler.

In the air... but safe! Fullish on off and Moores goes for the drive but never looks in control. He slices it high over covers and it lands safely in the deep. Not enough legs to reach the fence, and they settle for a couple.

On a good length outside off, Joe hits it through the line but finds the cover fielder.

FOUR! JUST OVER! On a length, outside off, angling away, Joe Moores guides this uppishly over point. The fielder leaps but the ball goes over his jump.

Full and around off, Moores drives this on the up towards cover.

Landed outside off, Joe reaches out and guides it behind point for a single. Shelton had rolled his fingers on that one. 

Full, outside off, Ben Dawkins hammers it to deep point, who fumbles, but it is not more than a single.

WIDE. Short and way wide outside off, extra bounce too, JM lets it pass. 189 more needed from 284 balls.

On a length, outside off, Joe Moores reaches out and steers it through point for a run.

WIDE. Second one in the over. Seemed like a slower ball, because the ball barely carried to the keeper. There was a bit of wobble too, after bouncing, and the keeper did well to collect that.

OUT! CAUGHT! Now, that is a real gift. The trap was set and Dawkins has jumped right into it. After his first six, the fielder at point was pushed back. Mazvitorera bowled it short and wide outside off, challenging Dawkins' ego to take him on. Dawkins accepts the challenge and slaps it real hard. But he hits it straight to Dhruv Patel at deep point who makes no mistake! The home side is overjoyed to see its plan come to fruition while Dawkins walks back, cutting a sorry figure. He departs for 11 (10) and Zimbabwe have the early wicket they needed. England Under-19 are 22/1 and need another 187 runs from 282 balls.

Is that put down? Chimugoro begins with a shortish ball down the leg side. Moores looks to glance it and there is a noise as the ball goes through to the keeper. Muradzi dives across to his right but cannot cling on. Hard to tell where the sound came from, but it certainly did not sound woody. They cross and it has been given as a leg bye.

Gets behind the line and pushes it towards mid on for a run.

Sliding down the leg side, Moores fails to flick and it goes off his pads to short fine. They cross for another leg bye.

Close to off, on a length, Ben plays late with an angled bat but finds the diving point fielder.

Chimugoro serves it on a length, around middle and off, Ben covers the line and defends it watchfully off his front foot.

Too straight in line from the bowler, Dawkins flicks it in the air but in the gap at mid-wicket. Takes a couple of runs and England are 13 after 2 overs.

Ohhh... loose start! Just a fraction short outside off, hint of width, Ben Dawkins throws his bat at it without moving his feet and misses.

Full and around off, Dawkins comes forward and defends.

SIX! WHACK! Nothing loose this time. Short and wide outside off, Ben Dawkins stands his ground, makes full use of the room and slaps it over cover-point! What a way to start the run chase.

On a good length now, pace off, less room to work with outside off, angling in, Ben arches back a touch, waits for the ball to arrive and dabs it towards deep third for a single.

Full and around off, Joe Moores walks into the shot, getting across a touch and defends it back to the bowler.

Back of a length, outside off, extra bounce, Moores leaps and rides the bounce, steering it behind point for a run to get off the mark.