England maintained their unbeaten Super Eight record with a four-wicket victory over New Zealand on Friday, as unlikely heroes Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in Colombo. The result denies the Black Caps a guaranteed semifinal spot and provides a lifeline to Pakistan, who must now secure a massive win over Sri Lanka to leapfrog New Zealand on net run-rate.
Chasing 160 at the R. Premadasa Stadium, England slumped to 2 for 2 within the first eight balls and appeared buried at 117 for 6 with just three overs remaining. However, a blistering 44-run stand between Jacks (32 off 18*) and 18-year-old debutant Rehan Ahmed (19 off 7*) dismantled the New Zealand defense, with the winning runs arriving via a Jacks glance with three balls to spare.
The contest swung in the 18th over when England required a daunting 43 from 18 balls. Facing Glenn Phillips, who had earlier been the game's standout performer with a gritty 39, Rehan Ahmed launched a massive six over long-on, followed by Jacks plundering two boundaries and another maximum. The 22-run over completely deflated the Kiwi momentum.
The assault continued into the 19th, as Rehan greeted the usually frugal Mitchell Santner with an audacious reverse-sweep for four and a towering six over long-off. By the time Matt Henry ran in for the final over, the requirement had been whittled down to a mere five runs.
Stand: Jacks and Rehan added 44 runs in just 15 balls.
Spin record: England bowled a record 16 overs of spin; the most in their T20I history.
Jacks’ dominance: Will Jacks secured his fourth Player of the Match award of the tournament.
Buttler’s slump: The England captain’s "crisis tournament" hit a new low with a second-ball duck (15 runs in 5 innings).
Pakistan lifeline: Pakistan can qualify if they beat Sri Lanka by 65+ runs (batting first) or chase in 13 overs.
Earlier, England’s "bravery over caution" template was applied to the bowling card. Harry Brook showed unwavering faith in his spinners, deploying them for 16 out of 20 overs. Adil Rashid and Will Jacks (2/23) effectively choked the New Zealand middle order, which struggled on a surface where the ball was "sticking and climbing."
Despite a patient recovery from Glenn Phillips (39) and explosive starts from Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, New Zealand’s momentum stalled against the spin-heavy barrage. They collapsed from a comfortable position to finish on 159 for 7, a total that appeared sufficient until the late-innings fireworks from England's lower order.
England’s chase began in disastrous fashion. Phil Salt edged Matt Henry to the keeper, and Jos Buttler fell for a second-ball duck to Lockie Ferguson's extra bounce. It was left to the captain, Harry Brook (26), and Jacob Bethell to stage a 48-run recovery during the PowerPlay.
While Brook's aggressive intent kept the asking rate manageable, Rachin Ravindra (3/19) consistently pulled New Zealand back into the game, removing Bethell and Sam Curran to leave England looking "out of gas" before Jacks and Rehan delivered the final blow.
| Player | Impact | Match Stat |
|---|---|---|
| Will Jacks | POTM / Crisis Manager | 32* (18) & 2/23 (4.0) |
| Rehan Ahmed | Debutant Brilliance | 19* (7) & tournament-high SR |
| Rachin Ravindra | Spin Threat | 3/19 (4.0) |
| Glenn Phillips | All-round Graft | 39 (28) & 1/43 (4.0) |
| Matt Henry | Early Dagger | 2/22 (3.3) |
While England marches into the semifinals with a statement win, New Zealand must now play the waiting game. They remain favorites to progress, but the 61-run win over Sri Lanka they previously enjoyed has had its NRR cushion slightly trimmed. All eyes now turn to the Kandy showdown between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on Saturday.