Rob Key, Graeme Swann and Paul Franks were among England’s unlikely
World Cup winners. They recall a memorable tour
![The Spin | We piled on Allan Border in a pub: England U19s class of 98 relive victory](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/55a25cc308b7e2606206acbd1c31965c92de2200/0_19_1677_1006/master/1677.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=7a1bbc67adfd7e7dd587935536d116e4)
Away from the senior team’s ongoing Test tour of South Africa, but not too far away, the latest batch of starry-eyed English teenagers are preparing for the ICC Under-19 World Cup and their opening fixture against West Indies in Kimberley on Monday.
Lancashire’s George Balderson leads a squad that includes seven players with county experience. The Spin is keen to see more of Joey Evison of Nottinghamshire, a seam-bowling all-rounder, and Jack Haynes, an elegant right-hander from Worcestershire. But between 17 January and 9 February there will be plenty who catch the eye. The 16-team tournament – the 13th edition and a first for
Japan and Nigeria – is being hosted by
South Africa for only the second time, having previously done so in 1998 when a slightly unfancied
England side went on to lift the trophy under the captain Owais Shah and head coach John Abrahams.