Ben Mayes scored 191 runs off 117 balls against Scotland on January 21, 2026, at Harare during the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup. The 18-year-old Hampshire batter broke the England U19 World Cup record, passing Dan Lawrence’s 174 against Fiji from 2016. He missed the tournament record by just one run, falling short of Viran Chamuditha’s 192 for Sri Lanka against Japan earlier in the same competition.
Mayes hit 18 fours and 8 sixes while batting at number three, helping England post 404 for six in 50 overs. Scotland got bowled out for 152 in 44.5 overs, giving England a 252-run win.
The knock came less than a month after Mayes got picked for the World Cup squad. He reached his century off 65 balls, the fastest hundred by an England U19 player in tournament history. Joe Moores scored 81 at the other end, and the pair put on 188 runs for the second wicket.
England won all their group matches and moved into the Super Six stage with four points. The team will face the second-placed side from Group B in their next match at Bulawayo. Mayes is sitting his A-level exams this year while playing international cricket.
Record-Breaking Knock in Harare
Mayes walked in at number three after England lost an early wicket. He started cautiously before accelerating once he got his eye in. The boundaries came quickly as he punished anything short or wide. Scotland’s bowlers struggled to contain him once he crossed fifty. He brought up his hundred off 65 deliveries, smashing the previous fastest century record for England at the U19 World Cup.
The partnership with Moores took the game away from Scotland. Moores played the anchor role while Mayes attacked from the other end. The pair batted through the middle overs without giving Scotland a chance to fight back.
Mayes went past 150 and kept going, eyeing the tournament record. He got out on 191, one run short of Viran Chamuditha’s 192 that had been scored just days earlier in the same tournament. England’s total of 404 for six became the sixth or seventh highest team score in U19 World Cup history, and the first time England crossed 400 in the tournament.
Scotland never looked like chasing down such a massive target. They lost wickets regularly and got bowled out for 152. Finlay Carter top-scored with 34, but nobody else managed to build an innings. Caleb Falconer took three wickets for 19 runs to wrap up the Scotland tail. The 252-run margin gave England a huge net run rate boost heading into the Super Six stage.
Dan Lawrence had held the England record since 2016 when he scored 174 against Fiji. That knock stood for eight years before Mayes went past it. Lawrence went on to play county cricket for Essex and got picked for England’s senior Test team. Mayes hopes his World Cup performance opens similar doors at Hampshire and beyond.
Hampshire Academy to Professional Contract
Mayes joined the Hampshire Men’s Academy in May 2023 when he was 15 years old. He started getting noticed after scoring a century against St Cross Symondians while playing for Hampshire’s academy side at the Utilita Bowl.
He scored his first academy half-century in August 2024 against Bournemouth, showing he could build innings at that level. Hampshire’s academy won the Southern Premier League title in 2024, with Mayes playing a key role in the success.
Moreover, he made his Second XI debut for Hampshire in 2025 and scored 105 against Nottinghamshire. The century showed that he could handle the jump to more competitive cricket. Soon after, Hampshire gave him his first professional contract, which kept him with the club until the end of the 2027 season. The deal came before his World Cup heroics, showing Hampshire had faith in his potential.
His List A debut for Hampshire came on August 5, 2025, against Glamorgan at Neath. He played 11 List A matches before the World Cup, scoring 230 runs at an average of 32.85. His highest score in that format is 74, and he has two fifties.
Similarly, his strike rate of 99.13 shows he scores quickly when he gets going. He also played three T20 matches for Hampshire in the Vitality Blast, though he only scored 19 runs across those games. His T20 record does not reflect his ability yet, as he has had limited chances to bat.
Mayes attended King Edward VI School in Southampton, where he balanced cricket with his studies. He is sitting his A-level exams in 2026, the same year as the World Cup. It takes careful time management to balance schoolwork with playing international cricket.
He also played hockey for England at the under-16 level and has a single-figure golf handicap, showing he is a natural athlete across multiple sports.
Ben Mayes’ Impact on England’s U19 World Cup Campaign
England won all their group stage matches to qualify for the Super Six round.They beat Pakistan in their opening game on January 16 in Harare. Mayes scored 20 in that match as England got off to a winning start. England faced Zimbabwe and won again before meeting Scotland. The Scotland match turned into a run fest with England piling on 404 for six.
The team carried four points into the Super Six stage based on their group performances. The format means England will play teams from Group B that they did not face in the group stage. Their next opponent will be the second-placed team from that group.
The match takes place in Bulawayo, a different venue from their group games in Harare. England will try to win enough Super Six matches to reach the final scheduled for February 6 at Harare Sports Club.
Moreover, Mayes had played seven matches for England U19S before the World Cup. He toured South Africa with the team and scored 51 runs in one match, earning Player of the Match in the first Youth ODI at Western Province.
The South Africa tour showed he could perform away from home and gave the selectors confidence to pick him for the World Cup squad. His performances in England’s warm-up matches against India and New Zealand added to that confidence, though he only scored 34 and 4, respectively.
His 191 against Scotland put him firmly on the map. The innings were watched by cricket fans around the world and highlighted his talent. The best part is that county cricket watchers and England selectors will now track his progress closely.
Furthermore, Hampshire will want him playing regularly for their senior team once he finishes his A-levels and can focus fully on cricket.
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What the Future Holds for Ben Mayes at Hampshire
The Hampshire contract gives Ben security while he develops his game. He will likely split time between Second XI cricket and occasional first-team appearances when Hampshire need him. His batting style suits the middle order, where he can come in and attack once the top order has set a platform.
He bats right-handed and bowls right-arm medium pace, giving him the option to contribute with the ball if needed. His bowling has not produced wickets yet in professional cricket, but that side of his game could develop as he gets stronger. For now, Hampshire will focus on his batting and use him as a specialist batter who can chip in with a few overs when required.
Hampshire’s first team plays in the County Championship, One Day Cup, and T20 Blast. Mayes will aim to break into all three formats over the next couple of years. His strike rate of 99.13 in List A cricket suggests he is suited to white-ball formats where quick scoring matters. He will need to show he can build longer innings in red-ball cricket if he wants to play County Championship matches regularly.
The club has a history of developing young players and giving them chances in the first team. Mayes will get opportunities if he keeps performing for the Second XI. His World Cup record gives him confidence, but he knows county cricket requires consistency over a full season. He will return to Hampshire after the World Cup and continue working on his game with the coaching staff.
Career Statistics and Playing Style Breakdown
Mayes has played 11 List A matches, scoring 230 runs at an average of 32.85. He has faced 232 balls in those matches, giving him a strike rate of 99.13. He has hit 23 fours and 9 sixes, showing he can find the boundary regularly.
His highest score in List A cricket is 74, and he has two half-centuries. He also holds 14 catches and one stumping, though his main role is as a batter rather than a wicketkeeper.
Moreover, his T20 record shows three matches with 19 runs at an average of 9.50. He faced 20 balls and hit two fours. Because of this limited sample size, it was hard to judge his T20 ability.
But he will get more chances in that format as his career progresses. Hampshire used him sparingly in the Vitality Blast, bringing him in for three matches late in the season. He made his T20 debut against Durham on September 5, 2025, at Chester-le-Street and played his last match against Somerset on September 13 in Birmingham.
Similarly, he bats at number three or four, depending on what the team needs. He can come in during the middle overs and keep the scoring rate high because he attacks. Overall, he has excellent cricket skills with exceptional batting and spinning, with a very bright future.
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