Australia and West Indies kept their ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 semi-final hopes firmly on track, registering crucial Super Six victories as the battle for the final four intensified on Sunday (25).
Australia overpower South Africa to stay top
Australia continued their impressive run with a six-wicket win over South Africa, strengthening their hold on Group 1. After opting to bowl first, the defending champions struck early and hard, reducing South Africa to 37 for 4 inside the first 10 overs.
Charles Lachmund and William Byrom set the tone with the new ball, claiming two wickets each, while a run-out compounded South Africa’s troubles. Paul James offered lone resistance with a gritty 34 off 60 balls, but regular wickets saw the Young Proteas bundled out for 118 in under 33 overs. Lachmund finished with three wickets, while Byrom and Aryan Sharma chipped in with two apiece.
In reply, Australia were tested briefly after losing Will Malajczuk and tournament in-form Nitesh Samuel early. Steven Hogan anchored the chase with a composed knock, but South Africa stayed in the contest through Jacob Basson’s three-wicket haul. Ultimately, Jayden Draper and Alex Young guided Australia home, sealing their first Super Six win and taking them to six points at the top of the table.
West Indies edge Ireland in rain-hit contest
Earlier in the day, West Indies kept their semi-final hopes alive with a 25-run DLS victory over Ireland. Batting first, the Caribbean side recovered from 67 for 3 thanks to a fluent 66 from Jewel Andrew, who anchored the innings with maturity beyond his years. Jonathan van Lange (28) and Aadian Racha added valuable lower-order runs as West Indies posted 226 inside 47 overs.
Ireland responded positively, led by James West’s brisk 45, with several middle-order contributions keeping them in the chase. However, West Indies clawed back through Micah McKenzie’s four-wicket spell, which dismantled the Irish middle order.
With Ireland on 164 for 7 after 40 overs, rain intervened and no further play was possible, handing West Indies victory via the DLS method. The result keeps them firmly in contention ahead of a high-stakes clash against Australia on Wednesday (28), while Ireland will wrap up their campaign against Afghanistan on Friday.
With the Super Six stage reaching its decisive phase, every result now carries semi-final significance, and the race for the final four remains wide open.
