Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE sun eventually came out at Takashinga Sports Club yesterday, the brass band kept playing, and the Highfield crowd tried to will Zimbabwe’s Under-19s over the line, but England walked through the noise and handed the Young Chevrons a painful ICC Under-19 Men’s World Cup lesson.
Zimbabwe were beaten by eight wickets after England chased down 208/9 in 28 overs, turning what felt like a big home occasion into a reminder that World Cup cricket doesn’t care about comfort, support, or good intentions.
Somerset wicketkeeper-batter Thomas Rew was the difference. England’s Under-19 captain played with authority and control, smashing 86 off 66 balls to earn Player of the Match and steer his side home with wickets and time to spare.
Rew wasn’t alone. Ben Mayes stayed unbeaten on 77 from 72 balls, and the pair stitched together a brutal third-wicket stand of 167 from 128 deliveries that sucked the life out of Zimbabwe’s defence and turned the chase into a procession.
Zimbabwe thought they had found an opening when Shelton Mazvitorera struck early, removing Ben Dawkins (11) and Joe Moores (19) to leave England on 42/2 inside the powerplay, but it was the last real moment of danger for the visitors.
From there, England shut the door. They picked their options, punished the short ball, and targeted the cow corner boundary with a confidence that made Zimbabwe’s bowlers look like they were defending instead of attacking.
Zimbabwe captain Simbarashe Mudzengerere, who top scored with an unbeaten 45, admitted the defeat stung, but insisted the team still has enough in it to recover if they clean up their decision making and stop rushing their innings.
“We need to give ourselves a bit of time, avoid rushing, and stay at the crease. The moment you stay at the wicket, you win,” said Mudzengerere.
“The England batters attacked the cow corner region effectively and picked their shots well. We are close to doing well and we only need slightly better execution to turn things around.”
There had been a weather worry hanging over the ground for most of the day, with dark clouds sitting over Takashinga, but unlike last week’s abandoned match against Scotland, the rain stayed away and the supporters came out in numbers.
England won the toss and sent Zimbabwe in under heavy skies, backing their bowlers to squeeze the hosts early, and they got exactly what they wanted in the first over. Nathaniel Hlabangana was out for a duck, caught by Joe Moores off Alex French, with the scoreboard still on zero.
Zimbabwe never truly recovered the rhythm after that. Kupakwashe Muradzi made eight before he was caught by James Minto off Luke Hands, and by the start of the 11th over the Young Chevrons were two down with only 30 runs on the board.
The middle overs became a slow grind, with England keeping a tight leash on the run rate and forcing Zimbabwe into risky shots when they tried to break free. At the halfway stage, the hosts were 91/3, already behind the pace needed to set a score that could apply pressure.
The collapse came in phases. Zimbabwe slid from 107/3 to 153/7, losing wickets at regular intervals and leaving the lower order to scramble for a finish that never really arrived.
Kian Blignaut (33), Dhruv Patel (36) and Tatenda Chimugoro (30) offered resistance in pockets, but none of the starts became a defining innings, and poor shot selection kept dragging Zimbabwe back just when they needed someone to take charge.
With Mudzengerere coming in at number six, the pressure shifted to the lower middle order to find urgency without panic, but England’s bowlers tightened their grip and the mistakes multiplied. Brandon Senzere was stumped for 14 off 25 balls, and rising pinch hitter Michael Blignaut fell for nine, taken by Manny Lumsden after swinging for a maximum off Ralphie Albert.
Zimbabwe’s hopes dipped again when Leeroy Chiwaula was stumped to make it 193/8 with fewer than four overs left, leaving the hosts short of the sort of total that could make England hesitate.
Lumsden led England’s attack with 3 for 38 from 10 overs, while Albert and Farhan Ahmed picked up two wickets each. French and Hands chipped in with one apiece, completing a disciplined performance that never gave Zimbabwe room to breathe.
Rew said England want to carry the momentum forward after also beating Pakistan by 37 runs last Friday, while Zimbabwe are now staring at a group table that doesn’t leave much space for slip ups.
Zimbabwe’s opening Group C match against Scotland was washed out the day before without a ball bowled because of persistent rain and a wet outfield, and that one point now feels like a small lifeline rather than a bonus.
England sit top of Group C on four points, with Zimbabwe and Scotland on one each, while Pakistan are still waiting to get going and face Scotland today at the same venue, a match that could quickly tighten the pressure on the Young Chevrons’ next outing.
Peter Tanyanyiwa