New Zealand thrashed as England Under-19s advance to last eight

Rob Sayer took a couple of wickets in the victory over New Zealand

Needing to win to avoid missing out on the knockout stages, England comfortably defended their total of 229-8 as the Kiwis fell well short.

Ryan Higgins’ 83 dominated the England innings after they had won the toss and elected to bat first in Dubai.

The New Zealand reply got off to a poor start as Matthew Fisher did some damage with the new ball and they never recovered, eventually being dismissed in the 37th over.

Sri Lanka got the better of the UAE to ensure England finished as runners-up in Group D meaning that they will face the winners of Group A in Saturday’s quarter-final in Dubai.

As things stand, India are leading Group A and will top the standings if they get the better of Papua New Guinea on Wednesday.

Northants youngster Ben Duckett missed the match against New Zealand due to a groin problem picked up while scoring 83 in England’s opening win against the UAE last Friday.