England secured a tense four-wicket victory against New Zealand in their Super Eight match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The win leaves England on track to top the group with six points, while New Zealand remain second, giving Pakistan a chance to qualify for the semi-finals depending on net run rate calculations.
Debutant leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed impressed, taking two wickets, while Will Jacks played a crucial supporting role alongside him to guide England home after a late surge by New Zealand’s lower order.
New Zealand set a target of 160 for victory, finishing on 159 for seven after England’s spin-heavy attack, featuring Adil Rashid, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, and Liam Dawson, kept the Black Caps under pressure.
Spin Gives England the Edge
The match was defined by spin, with Rehan Ahmed striking in his debut over, removing Rachin Ravindra, while Adil Rashid and Will Jacks also claimed key wickets to disrupt New Zealand’s innings.
Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips offered resistance, but England’s leg-spin strategy proved decisive, preventing a repeat of New Zealand’s earlier successful partnership between Cole McConchie and Mitchell Santner against Sri Lanka.
Glenn Phillips starred in the field, taking two critical catches, including one running forward at deep midwicket to dismiss Jacob Bethell, keeping England in control as New Zealand lost regular wickets.
England’s top order struggled early, with Jos Buttler falling for a duck and Phil Salt dismissed by Matt Henry, placing immediate pressure on Harry Brook and the middle-order batters.
Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks Shine
Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks stitched a late partnership of 44 runs off 16 balls, steadily closing England’s remaining five-run requirement in the final over to secure the win.
Harry Brook’s promotion to No. 3 proved crucial, providing stability during the powerplay and handling the spin-friendly conditions effectively, contributing to England’s consistent chase in Colombo’s turning pitch.
The England side made one change to their lineup, replacing Jamie Overton with Rehan Ahmed, a move that paid dividends by strengthening their spin attack for subcontinental conditions.
New Zealand Fall Short
New Zealand’s middle and lower order struggled to recover after early dismissals, with Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell falling cheaply, leaving the team dependent on late partnerships to challenge England’s chase.
Tim Seifert and Finn Allen provided a strong start, but the absence of Michael Bracewell and limited middle-order contributions meant New Zealand could not set a competitive total beyond 159.
The Black Caps will remain second in Super Eight Group 2, and a win against England could have allowed them to top the table and secure a semi-final in Mumbai or Kolkata.
Implications for Pakistan
Pakistan will need a strong victory over Sri Lanka in their final match to maintain semi-final hopes, relying on England defeating New Zealand and overcoming net run rate deficits.
If Pakistan bat first against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium tomorrow, they must defeat Sri Lanka by 64 runs to surpass New Zealand’s net run rate and qualify for the semi-finals.
If the Salman Agha-led side bowls first, they must chase Sri Lanka’s total in 13.1 overs to overtake New Zealand, move into second place, and join England from Group 2 in the semi-finals.
