Australia registered a huge 110-run win on a DLS method against England in their first ICC U19 World Cup 2024 Super Six stages on Wednesday, January 31. Australian captain Hugh Weibgen recorded a brilliant century to power his team to a straight fourth win in the tournament at Diamond Oval in Kimberley.
Weibgen's 120 off 126 and a fifty from opener Harry Dixon helped Australia post a total of 266/6 while batting first. Left-arm spinner Theo Wylie, making his debut in the tournament, took four wickets for England but the likes of Eddie Jack and Farhan Ahmed struggled to make any impact.
England's batters struggled for a good start and never found any momentum against Australia's impressive bowling attack. Callum Vilder dismissed Wylie in the second over and then removed captain Ben McKinney in the fourth over to give Australia early control.
Bad weather in Kimberley halted the game for almost two hours with officials revising the target to 215. Australian bowlers kept the momentum at their side with regular wickets after the game resumed and stumbled over their rivals on just 104 total in 16.5 overs. Vilder took four wickets for 29 while spinner Raf MacMillan bagged three for 16 in his three-over spell for Australia.
Meanwhile, in other games on Wednesday, the tournament hosts South Africa thrashed Zimbabwe by nine wickets. The rising young pacer Kwena Maphaka recorded his second five-wicket haul in this tournament to bowl out Zimbabwe on just 102 runs and then a fifty from opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius boosted the Proteas to an easy win in just 13.3 overs.
Bangladesh U19 side also recorded a dominating five-wicket win against Nepal to keep their hopes for the semi-final round alive. The Asian champions produced an impressive all-round performance at Mangaung Oval to bowl out Nepal on just 169 runs and then chase a target in 25.2 overs.
