COLOMBO — England completed a tense run chase against New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Friday, winning by four wickets in a Super Eight Group 2 match and keeping Pakistan in contention for a place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
Chasing 160, the defending champions reached 161 for six in 19.3 overs after New Zealand posted 159 for seven. The result adds fresh uncertainty to the semi-final race, with Pakistan still mathematically alive heading into their final Super Eight fixture.
New Zealand post competitive total
Opting to bat first, New Zealand made 159 for seven in their allotted 20 overs. Glenn Phillips top-scored with 39 off 28 balls, while openers Tim Seifert (35) and Finn Allen (29) provided early momentum.
Rachin Ravindra contributed 11, Mark Chapman made 15, and Daryl Mitchell fell for three. Captain Mitchell Santner added nine runs as England’s bowlers kept the scoring in check during the latter stages.
Adil Rashid, Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed picked up two wickets each to prevent New Zealand from pushing past the 160 mark.
England hold nerve in chase
England’s reply began cautiously, with Phil Salt dismissed for two and captain Jos Buttler out for a duck. Harry Brook stabilised the innings with 26 off 24 balls, while Bethell added 21.
Tom Banton struck 33 from 24 deliveries to maintain momentum, and Sam Curran chipped in with 24. The match was sealed by an unbeaten stand between Will Jacks (32*) and Rehan Ahmed (19*), guiding England to victory with three balls to spare.
Semi-final race tightens
The outcome keeps Pakistan’s qualification hopes intact. New Zealand, who entered the match with three points from two games, required one more point to confirm a semi-final berth.
Pakistan, currently on one point from two matches, must defeat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eight fixture. Progression could then depend on net run rate calculations, depending on other results in the group.
With the group standings finely balanced, the final round of matches is set to determine the remaining semi-final spots.
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