England will play Sri Lanka or Afghanistan in the World Cup semi-finals next Tuesday after coasting past South Africa in last eight; Jacob Bethell hits 16 fours and two sixes in 88 from 42 balls after spinner Rehan Ahmed takes four wickets; England’s only World Cup win so far came in 1998
Last Updated: 26/01/22 7:23pm
England have reached the semi-finals of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup for the first time since 2014 after Jacob Bethell’s 88 from 42 balls and Rehan Ahmed’s four-wicket haul underpinned a crushing win over South Africa.
Barbados-born Bethell, who plays domestically for Warwickshire, hit 16 fours and two sixes as England topped South Africa’s 209 all out with 18.4 overs to spare to win by six wickets in Antigua.
The victory was England’s fourth in a row at the tournament and sealed a last-four clash with either Sri Lanka or Afghanistan on Tuesday (February 1).
South Africa were dismissed inside 44 overs after electing to bat, with Leicestershire leg-spinner Ahmed (4-48) ripping through the middle order and Northamptonshire seamer James Sales and Lancashire paceman Joshua Boyden picking up two wickets apiece.
England – whose only ICC Under-19 World Cup title came back in 1998 – finished third in the UAE in 2014 but have since ended sixth, seventh and ninth across the previous three editions.
Tom Prest’s side thrashed Bangladesh, Canada and the UAE in the group stage to top Group A and after seeing off South Africa in the quarter-finals, are now just two victories away from the trophy.
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