England secured a thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in Colombo on Thursday, bolstering their momentum heading into the T20 World Cup semi-finals, while simultaneously leaving Pakistan’s qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
The match saw a dramatic shift in fortunes as Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed steered England to 161-6, surpassing New Zealand’s total of 159-7 with three balls to spare. New Zealand had appeared to be in a strong position after reducing England to 117-6 in the 17th over, but the late-innings heroics of Jacks and Ahmed proved decisive.
“Would have made our lives easier if we won,” New Zealand captain Mitch Santner conceded after the match, acknowledging the significance of the loss. “We played a pretty fine game. Credit to England. Jacks and Rehan with the finishing touches, it was a good bit of batting.”
The victory marked England’s third consecutive win in the Super Eights stage, guaranteeing their progression to the semi-finals. However, New Zealand’s path to the final four is now less certain. They currently hold second place in Group 2, but their fate rests on the outcome of Pakistan’s crucial match against Sri Lanka on Saturday in Pallekele.
Pakistan faces a daunting task. To qualify, they must defeat Sri Lanka by a margin of 64 runs or chase down the target in 13.1 overs or less.
England’s chase got off to a rocky start, with Phil Salt dismissed in the first over and captain Jos Buttler falling for a two-ball duck in the second. Buttler’s dismissal was his 10th in T20 cricket, setting a new record for England.
Despite early setbacks, Harry Brook and Jacob Bethel attempted to stabilize the innings, but both were dismissed within the first nine overs. Tom Banton and Sam Curran struggled to accelerate the scoring, leaving England needing 43 runs from the final 19 deliveries.
The introduction of Rehan Ahmed, replacing Jamie Overton, proved pivotal. Ahmed’s quick-fire innings, including two sixes and a boundary, alongside Jacks’ composed batting, turned the tide. They combined for a stand of 44 runs in just 16 balls, capitalizing on Glenn Phillips’ over and Mitchell Santner’s final over.
Jacks finished with an unbeaten 32, including a six and four boundaries, while Ahmed remained unbeaten on 19 from seven balls. “Having gone out on a knife-edge, I’m over the moon,” Jacks said, reflecting on the close contest. “Rehan played a brilliant innings. Everyone struggled to get going on that pitch and the six he hit second ball got them rattled and I fed off him.”
Earlier, New Zealand opted to bat first and posted 159-7. Tim Seifert and Finn Allen provided a brisk start with a 64-run opening partnership, but the New Zealand middle order struggled to maintain the momentum. Phillips top-scored with 39, but the team could only manage 24 runs in the final three overs.
England’s bowling attack, led by spinners Will Jacks, Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed, proved effective, with each taking two wickets. England employed a record 16 overs of spin, with all seven New Zealand dismissals falling to slow bowlers.
The outcome leaves Pakistan awaiting their fate, dependent on a significant victory against Sri Lanka to retain their World Cup campaign alive.
