Four giants set for thrilling semi-finals at U19WC25
South Africa will take on Australia in the first while reigning champions India will face England in the second later on in the day.
Here's a look at what could be in store.
Australia have bowled brilliantly throughout the tournament – with Lily Bassingthwaite the standout, boasting six wickets and an economy rate of 2.22 – and will be hoping their top-order batting begins to fire.
They will need to be in prime form for this clash. The group stage was straightforward for them, beating Scotland and Nepal easily before a closer contest against Bangladesh, and they followed that up with a good win against West Indies in the Super Sixes.
They already knew they were through to the semi-finals before they played Sri Lanka in their last Super Six match, which may have contributed to them becoming the only semi-finalists to be beaten in the tournament.
South Africa have been hampered by rain throughout the tournament, and have not played a full 40 overs so far. It is difficult, then, to assess their true form, but then it will be equally tricky for opponents to prepare for their batters, considering they have batted for fewer than 27 overs in their four matches combined.
The bowlers have done exactly what has been required of them, with captain Kayla Reyneke leading the way, taking nine wickets with an average economy rate of 4.03. But the knock-out stages will prove a sterner test than they have faced thus far.
Defending champions India are favourites to retain their crown, with a nine-wicket win over West Indies, an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh, a 60-run win over Sri Lanka and a 150-run win over Scotland. But now they come up against England, who have made their way past a few big obstacles to get this far – beating Pakistan by six wickets, USA by eight wickets and New Zealand by six wickets.
India have some stand-out shining stars – most notably Trisha Gongadi at the top of the batting order and the superb Vaishnavi Sharma, with 12 wickets already in the tournament including a hat-trick.
England will be hoping to remove Trisha as soon as possible and then have their fingers crossed that the India middle order and tail have not had the match practice to fend off their own fine bowling attack, led by spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman, who has taken seven wickets so far.
With the bat, Davina Perrin has been England's best performer thus far, with 131 runs to her name, and she will seek to add to that haul. ICC - Women's U19 T20 World Cup 2025 News Breaking News Women's News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Cricket Council
2 days ago
- Int'l Cricket Council
Ponting tips Root to overtake his Test tally in Manchester ICC World Test Championship
ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting believes Joe Root is en route to overtaking his run tally in Test cricket on Day 3 of the Manchester Test. Root, who finished unbeaten at the score of 11 on Day 2 against India, is 108 runs behind Ponting in the all-time Men's Test cricket run charts. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the third day's play at Old Trafford, Ponting said, 'If he keeps going on like this, that could very well happen today. 'It's a great day for batting and what a remarkable career it's been for Joe. How he's transformed from someone that couldn't go on past fifty to hundreds. Now it seems like every time he gets to fifty, you just mark him down for a hundred, or a big hundred. 'Just looking at some of the numbers, 37 Test match hundreds, 13000 runs, what an amazing career to-date.' Root is currently the fifth-highest run-getter in the longest format – 18 runs behind Rahul Dravid and 19 runs behind Jacques Kallis, who are fourth and third, respectively. Ponting also added that there is more to come from Root, and that the England talisman can also overtake Sachin Tendulkar as the all-time run scorer in the format. 'There's still a fair bit to go. What is he, 35? Doesn't look like his passion for the game is going anywhere. 'His run-scoring passion has probably gone up over the years. Can he chase down Sachin? Let's see. He might as well do that.' England are currently leading 2-1 in the five-match ICC World Test Championship series. ICC World Test ChampionshipICC World Test Championship, 2025/27NewsJoe Root
Int'l Cricket Council
3 days ago
- Int'l Cricket Council
Ponting sees mirror image in son Fletcher's cricketing obsession
Young Fletcher was seen in the nets during the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Major League Cricket (MLC), where Ricky Ponting served as head coach of Delhi Capitals and Washington Freedom, respectively. During the latest episode of The ICC Review , Australia legend Ponting opened up about his son Fletcher's passion for the game, one that mirrors his own from childhood. 'He drives me mad, honestly,' Ponting joked, speaking to Sanjana Ganesan. 'Everyone that sees him and even my family, he's just a clone of what I was at the same age. 'He lives and breathes the game.' Ponting went on to reveal the resilience following a major injury setback that his 14-year-old faced last year. 'Fletcher's had a tough run actually the last 12 months. 'He got a double stress fracture in his back in June-July last year, which meant that he missed a whole year of cricket. So he was not allowed to do any sport at all. 'There was no running, there was no physical activity at school. So it's only just been now that he's been able to start up and do some batting again.' The former Australia captain further explained how his son's enthusiasm led to the injury. 'He likes to think of himself as an all-rounder. He did his back by trying to bowl too fast, trying to be like your husband (Jasprit Bumrah) actually and bowl fast all the time. That's how he hurt himself!' Ponting told host Sanjana Ganesan. Being the head coach of the Washington Freedom in the MLC offered a refreshing change of scene for the Ponting family. A few weeks ago, the franchise's social handles showed Fletcher hitting the nets with dad close by, soaking in the experience in the USA. 'He sits there patiently for three hours until the end of every session and then puts his pads on and I take him to the nets and he gets his own little hit,' Ponting said. 'So it's those memories for him and for Rianna [Ponting's wife], and guess what, the Washington Freedom allowed us to do as a family and allow Fletcher and my girls and Rianna to be around for big chunks, it's been a lot of fun.' Jasprit Bumrah on his multiple ICC honours for an incredible 2024 | ICC Awards An elated Jasprit Bumrah speaks on the privilege of being honoured with multiple ICC awards for his incredible 2024 🤩 #ICCAwards According to Ponting, Fletcher has developed a keen eye for detail, soaking up cricket videos and replicating the bowling actions of several top players in the game, including that of ICC no. 1-ranked Test bowler Bumrah. 'He's watched every video of any highlight of any game that you can imagine. He can copy everyone's bowling actions,' he said. 'He actually does Jasprit's very, very well. He picks up little things like that really quickly and he just loves the game, and that's all I want - for him to enjoy the sport and dream big.' The ICC ReviewNewsRicky Ponting
Int'l Cricket Council
3 days ago
- Int'l Cricket Council
England unveil blockbuster schedule for summer of 2026
England have announced multiple bilateral contests to mark next year's home season of cricket. An action packed summer of cricket will feature England hosting the ICC Women's T20 World Cup starting June 12, with the final scheduled to be played at Lord's starting July 5. In their preparation for the tournament, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Co will play in a three-T20I series against New Zealand and India. England Women will also play as many ODIs against the White Ferns in the lead up to the T20 World Cup and a one-off Test against India at Lord's following the conclusion of the tournament. Also touring the country for a three-match ODI series are Ireland Women, who will mark the final challenge for the Nat-Sciver Brunt-led side at home. Meanwhile, the men's team will also engage in an action packed summer of cricket. As the race for the ICC World Test Championship picks pace, England will host New Zealand and Pakistan for three Tests each. India, who are currently engaged in a five-Test series in England, will be touring the country for five T20Is and three ODIs, starting July 1. Subsequently, Sri Lanka will also tour for three ODIs and as many T20Is in September. Against New Zealand 1st Test - 4-8 June , Lord's, London 2nd Test - 17-21 June, The Oval, London 3rd Test - 25-29 June, Trent Bridge, Nottingham Against India 1st T20I - 1 July, Riverside, Durham, 2nd T20I - 4 July, Old Trafford, Manchester 3rd T20I - 7 July, Trent Bridge, Nottingham 4th T20I - 9 July, Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol 5th T20I - 11 July, Utilita Bowl, Southampton 1st ODI - 14 July, Edgbaston, Birmingham 2nd ODI - 16 July, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 3rd ODI - 19 July, Lord's, London Against Pakistan 1st Test - 19-23 July, Headingley, Leeds 2nd Test - 27-31 August, Lord's, London 3rd Test - 9-13 September, Edgbaston, Birmingham Against Sri Lanka 1st T20I - 15 September, Utilita Bowl, Southampton 2nd T20I - 17 September, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 3rd T20I - 19 September, Old Trafford, Manchester 1st ODI - 22 September, Riverside, Durham 2nd ODI - 24 September, Headingley, Leeds 3rd ODI - 27 September, The Oval, London Against New Zealand 1st ODI – 10 May, Banks Homes Riverside, Durham 2nd ODI - 13 May, The County Ground, Northampton 3rd ODI – 16 May, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 1st T20I – 20 May, The Central Co-op County Ground, Derby 2nd T20I – 23 May, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury 3rd T20I - 25 May, The 1st Central County Ground, Hove Against India 1st T20I – 28 May, Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford 2nd T20I - 30 May, Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol 3rd T20I - 2 June, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton One-off Test - 10-13 July, Lord's, London Against Ireland 1st ODI – 1 September, The Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester 2nd ODI – 3 September, The Central Co-op County Ground, Derby 3rd ODI - 6 September, Worcestershire New Road, Worcester
