England 's Young Lions are confident they can bring a slice of joy for fans in a difficult winter by lifting the Under 19 World Cup for the first time in more than two decades.
They will have to get past pre-tournament favourites India who have appeared in four out of the last five finals, winning two of their four titles.
But after edging past Afghanistan in a thrilling semi-final, the teenagers reckon they have what it takes to go all the way, which would be the perfect tonic following Ashes defeat for both the men and the women this winter.
“If we can put a smile on people’s faces with a win, that would be great, but we are looking to win this tournament for our group of players who have been brilliant so far,” said skipper Tom Prest.
“Obviously you don’t want to get too far ahead of yourself, but the thought of winning it is something we’ve had from the start of the tournament and now we’re one game away.
“We won our group games pretty convincingly, but it was that tight win over Afghanistan that really made us believe we can win from any position.
“The Indian side will be favourites on paper, and will have a lot of pressure on them. They would have been the side that everyone tipped to win the competition from the start.
“India are a very strong side, they always are, but we are confident that we can beat anyone on our day, and hopefully that is the case in the final.”
Prest scored a brilliant 154 not out against the UAE, but runs have flowed from several players bats from the Barbados born Jacob Bethell to George’s Thomas and Bell who both scored fifties in the semi-final win over Afghanistan.
Bethell has got his A-Levels in P.E. and Business to come when he returns to Rugby School after the tournament, but a cricket career and following in the footsteps of Joe Root is the priority.
“When I was about 10 or 11 it was all about Joe Root with his Gunn and Moore bat,” said Bethell. “I use GM now and that’s because I used to see him with that bat and thought I wanted one of them like him.
“It is exciting to be in the final. It is a big stage on which to go and showcase your talent and prove yourself.”
Bethell and Prest have caught the eye with the bat and have been working on their game with batting coach Toby Radford who spent several years as the batting coach with the West Indies senior side and now splits his time between England and Bangladesh working on their pathways.
And at a time when there is a focus on the playing and coaching talent coming through in the game, Radford is confident the future for England looks bright in both departments.
“This is a high quality team with some very impressive young players,” Radford said. “There is some real tactical nous too.
“There are no egos here. They are very coachable and are looking to improve all the time, and thanks to head coach Richard Dawson they have the environment to do just that.
“Daws has been outstanding to work with. He’s got a great balance between being professional and focused but also taking the pressure off the players and creating a relaxed atmosphere. It is a great balance to strike.
“He really is an outstanding head coach who should go onwards and upwards from here.”
