England made a winning start to their Under-19 World Cup campaign by defeating Pakistan by 36 runs in the Group C opening match in Harare on Friday.

Batting first after Pakistan opted to bowl, England Under-19 were bowled out for 210 in 46.5 overs. In reply, Pakistan were dismissed for 173 in 46.3 overs while chasing a target of 211.

England’s innings was held together by Caleb Faulkner, who top-scored with 66 runs. Ben Dawkins made 33, Ralphie Albert scored 25, Ben Mace added 20, Farhan Ahmed 15 and Thomas Rew 14. Joseph Mors fell for seven.

Pakistan’s bowlers delivered a disciplined performance, led by Ahmed Hussain, who claimed three wickets. Ali Raza, Abdul Subhan and Momin Qamar picked up two wickets each.

Despite a manageable target, Pakistan’s chase faltered early. Openers Samir Minhas and Mohammad Shaayan were dismissed with just 23 runs on the board, triggering a steady collapse.

Captain Farhan Yousaf fought a lone battle with a composed 65, but received little support from the rest of the batting line-up. Ahmed Hussain scored 12, Huzefa Ehsan 17, Abdul Subhan 14, Samir Minhas 10, Mohammad Shaayan seven and Usman Khan six. Momin Qamar remained unbeaten on 19.

For England, Alex Green, Albert and James Minto claimed two wickets each to keep Pakistan under pressure throughout the chase.

Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl.

Captain Farhan Yousaf said the decision was taken after assessing the conditions, adding that the recently played tri-series had helped the team adapt to local conditions.

England’s captain said his side entered the tournament with confidence after winning both warm-up matches and opted to play with two spinners to exploit the conditions.

The defeat marks Pakistan’s first loss in Group C, while England maintained control of the match through disciplined bowling and timely batting contributions.

Pakistan, two-time Under-19 World Cup champions in 2004 and 2006, are aiming for a third title. The 16-team tournament is being held from January 15 to February 6 across Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Pakistan will face Scotland on January 19 and hosts Zimbabwe on January 22. All of Pakistan’s group matches will be played at Takashinga Sports Club and in Harare.