England beat New Zealand to seal semis

With this defeat, New Zealand missed the chance to secure direct qualification for the semi-finals.

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KATHMANDU: England produced a brilliant all-round performance from Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed to defeat New Zealand by four wickets in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eight match on Friday in Colombo.

Chasing a target of 160, England reached 161 for 6 with three balls to spare, thanks to an unbeaten 44-run partnership off just 16 balls between Jacks and Rehan.

Jacks smashed 32 off 18 balls with four boundaries and one six, while Rehan Ahmed finished on 19 not out from 7 balls, hitting one four and two sixes.

With this defeat, New Zealand missed the chance to secure direct qualification for the semi-finals.

The Black Caps must now wait for the result of Saturday’s Group 2 Super Eight match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

New Zealand have three points, Pakistan have one point, while Sri Lanka have lost both of their Super Eight matches.

Pakistan can overtake New Zealand on net run rate if they defeat Sri Lanka by 64 runs or more, or if they chase Sri Lanka’s target within 13.1 overs.

England registered their third consecutive Super Eight victory. Having already sealed a semi-final spot with two earlier wins, England will play their semi-final in Mumbai, where their likely opponents will be either India or West Indies.

England’s Chase

England’s start was poor as they lost Phil Salt (2) and Jos Buttler (0) within the first two overs. Captain Harry Brook steadied the innings with 26 off 24 balls (three fours, one six).

Contributions also came from Jacob Bethell (21 off 16), Tom Banton (33 off 24) and Sam Curran (24 off 22) before the finishing act by Jacks and Rehan sealed the win.

For New Zealand, left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra delivered an excellent spell, conceding just 19 runs in four overs and taking three wickets.

England’s Spin Web Restricts New Zealand

Earlier, England restricted New Zealand to 159 for 7, using spin heavily — a rare tactic in T20 internationals. After winning the toss, New Zealand made a strong start with 53 runs in the powerplay, but England’s spinners applied the brakes.

England fielded an extra spinner in place of seamer Jamie Overton, bringing in Rehan Ahmed, while captain Harry Brook used five spinners in total.

England bowled 16 overs of spin, the most they have ever used in a T20 international. The strategy paid off as New Zealand were never able to break free.

Will Jacks and Adil Rashid took two wickets each, conceding 23 and 28 runs respectively. Rashid now leads the tournament’s wicket charts with 11 wickets.

Playing his T20 World Cup debut, Rehan Ahmed made an instant impact by dismissing Rachin Ravindra for 11 with his very first delivery. Rehan finished with 2 for 28 from three overs.

The other spinners used were Liam Dawson, who took 1 for 32, and Jacob Bethell, who conceded 13 runs in one over.

New Zealand’s Batting

Glenn Phillips top-scored for New Zealand with 39 off 28 balls, including four fours and one six, while Tim Seifert contributed 35 runs.

Despite the strong start, New Zealand’s middle order could not maintain momentum against England’s disciplined spin attack.

England, champions in 2010 and 2022, produced one of their most tactically impressive performances in T20 World Cup history, underlining their status as serious contenders for another title.