New Zealand’s hopes of reaching the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals were left hanging after a thrilling four-wicket defeat to England in the Super Eights. The Black Caps set a target of 160 runs, but England chased it down with three balls to spare, meaning New Zealand had to rely on Pakistan’s final match to stay in contention.
For much of the game, New Zealand looked in control. England were struggling at 117 for six in the 17th over, and victory seemed close. However, powerful hitting from Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed turned the match around in dramatic fashion.
England had made a shaky start, losing Phil Salt in the first over and Jos Buttler in the second without scoring. More wickets fell quickly, and the pitch was helping the bowlers. With 43 runs needed from 19 balls, the pressure was intense.
Jacks and Ahmed responded with fearless batting. They struck big shots in the final overs, racing past the target. Jacks finished unbeaten on 32, while Ahmed added a rapid 19 from just seven deliveries.
Earlier, New Zealand scored 159 for seven after choosing to bat first. Glenn Phillips top-scored with 39, but the team added only 24 runs in the final three overs, which proved costly.
Despite the loss, New Zealand were not knocked out. Their place in the semi-finals depended on Pakistan’s final match against Sri Lanka. Pakistan needed a very large victory to move ahead of the Black Caps on net run-rate.
New Zealand’s players watched nervously as Pakistan fell short of the big win they required. When Pakistan could not reach the needed margin, it meant New Zealand remained ahead.
