England defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Colombo in a crucial Super Eight encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, keeping Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.
The ninth match of the Super Eight stage (Group Two), played on Friday at the R. Premadasa Stadium, saw New Zealand win the toss and opt to bat first. The Black Caps posted 159 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. England successfully chased down the 160-run target in the final over, finishing at 160 for 6.
New Zealand openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen provided an aggressive start, putting together a 64-run partnership for the first wicket. However, after the breakthrough, the batting side struggled to maintain momentum.
Seifert scored 35 runs, while Allen contributed 29. Glenn Phillips was the top scorer with 39 runs. Rachin Ravindra managed 11 runs before being dismissed by Rehan Ahmed. Mark Chapman scored 15, Daryl Mitchell added 3, and captain Mitchell Santner remained unbeaten on 9. Cole McConchie chipped in with 14 runs to take the team close to the 160-mark.
For England, Adil Rashid, Will Jacks, and Rehan Ahmed picked up two wickets each, while Liam Dawson claimed one wicket to keep the New Zealand batting line-up under pressure.
Chasing 160, England held their nerve and completed the target in the last over with four wickets remaining.
The match carried significant importance for both teams in the race to the semi-finals. England, already having secured two wins, had virtually sealed their place in the last four. However, their victory over New Zealand has provided a lifeline to Pakistan.
New Zealand now have three points from two matches and need at least one more point to confirm their semi-final berth. A win in this match would have guaranteed their qualification and eliminated Pakistan from the tournament.
Pakistan, with one point from two matches, are set to face Sri Lanka in their final Super Eight fixture. If Pakistan win that match, and depending on the net run rate comparison between Pakistan and New Zealand, one of the two teams will advance to the semi-finals, but only because England defeated New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the 50th match of the Super Eight stage will be played in Pallekele, where Sri Lanka and Pakistan will face off in a decisive encounter that could determine the final group standings.
