T20 World Cup 2026 | England Pull Off A Nail-Biter To Deny New Zealand Semi-Final Spot

England survived an early collapse and rode on Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed’s late flourish to edge past New Zealand by four wickets in a tense Super Eights clash.

England kept their nerves in a tense chase to defeat New Zealand by four wickets with three balls remaining in the 49th Match of the Super Eights, Group 2, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 27, 2026.

Chasing 160 for victory, England recovered from a shaky start to finish on 161/6 in 19.3 overs. The innings began on a disastrous note as Phil Salt fell for 2 and Jos Buttler was dismissed for a duck, leaving England at 2/2 inside two overs. Captain Harry Brook steadied the innings with 26 off 24 balls, while Jacob Bethell contributed 21.

Tom Banton played a fluent knock of 33 from 24 deliveries, and Sam Curran added 24, but it was Will Jacks who held the chase together. Jacks remained unbeaten on 32 off 18 balls, striking four fours and a six. Rehan Ahmed provided the finishing touch with a blistering 19 not out off just seven balls, including two sixes, as England crossed the target in the final over.

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For New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra was the standout bowler, claiming 3/19 in his four overs. Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson picked up one wicket each.

New Zealand’s Total In Vain

Earlier, New Zealand posted 159/7 after being asked to bat. Tim Seifert (35 off 25) and Finn Allen (29 off 19) gave them a strong start, adding 64 for the opening wicket inside seven overs. Glenn Phillips then anchored the middle overs with a brisk 39 off 28 balls, while Mark Chapman chipped in with 15 off nine.

However, England’s bowlers pulled things back in the latter half. Adil Rashid and Will Jacks claimed two wickets apiece, while Liam Dawson and Rehan Ahmed also struck crucial blows to restrict New Zealand under 160.

Despite a fighting total, New Zealand could not defend it as England’s lower middle order showed composure under pressure to seal an important Super Eights victory. This will leave New Zealand in hands of fate as Pakistan gets another fighting chance for the Semi-Finals against Sri Lanka.