U19 World Cup: Ben Mayes registers highest-ever score by an English batter
Harare, Jan 21
Ben Mayes made history by setting the highest individual score by an England player at the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup, scoring 191 runs from only 117 balls against Scotland in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Wednesday.
Mayes' score was also the joint second-highest of all time in U-19 World Cup history, tying with Sri Lanka's Hasitha Boyagoda and just one short of the world record set by Viran Chamuditha, who achieved this record earlier in the tournament against Japan.
Mayes came in to bat after England lost Ben Dawkins early and quickly started attacking the opposition. Along with Joe Moores, Mayes launched an aggressive partnership, achieving an 188-run stand in roughly 22 overs.
The 18-year-old Mayes played a leading role in the partnership, consistently overpowering the opposing bowlers. During his innings, he hit 18 boundaries and eight sixes, thoroughly dismantling the Scottish bowling attack.
His performance helped England reach 404/6 against Scotland, marking the sixth-highest score in ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup history and the highest of the tournament so far.
"I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen this morning. I just tried to take it a ball at a time. Really well helped by Morsi (Moores), and people chipping in with Rew and Caleb as well. It helped, kept me in the moment," Mayes said after England's innings.
Speaking of his record knock, he said, "No other words for it. It feels amazing (talking about his knock). As a team, we've tried to identify areas where we can score best, bowlers we can target. The whole team did that well today, not only me. Strong wind, short boundaries. We used that to our advantage. It's brilliant."
When asked about his notable partnerships in the middle, Mayes said, "He (Moores) and Rew are my favourite two people to bat with. You see all the shots he plays. I'm down the other end going, mate, it's unbelievable. It's really fun. We try to keep it light, pretty jokey, and have a good time. Even though we lost the toss, it's quite a good wicket to bowl second on. There'll be a bit of turn in the second innings, like there was when we played Zimbabwe on it."
"It's the same message as always - hit the stumps as much as possible with a bit of variable bounce. That should help us defend the score," he said for the bowlers who now look to defend the 405-run target set by the English side.
— IANS
Reader Comments
What a knock! Ben Mayes was on fire. As a cricket fan living in India, I love seeing these record-breaking performances at the youth level. It's great for the future of the sport globally. Hope the Indian team was watching and taking notes!
Brilliant batting, no doubt. But scoring 191 against Scotland is one thing. Let's see him do it against a top-tier bowling attack like India, Pakistan, or Australia in the knockouts. The real test is yet to come. Still, kudos to the lad!
The future of cricket looks bright with talents like these! 18 boundaries and 8 sixes... wow! 🏏 Hope our BCCI scouts are keeping an eye on all these young players, not just our own. Understanding future opponents is key.
As an English fan in India, this is fantastic news! Mayes and Moores building that partnership is exactly what we needed. The confidence from this innings will be massive for the rest of the tournament. Bring on the bigger teams!
Great individual performance, but cricket is a team sport. England posted 404, which is massive. However, I feel the article focuses too much on one player. What about the bowlers who will have to defend this? And Scotland's perspective? A more balanced report would be better.
K We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.