Colombo, Feb 27 (UNI) England’s four-wicket win over New Zealand in the Super 8 Group 2 clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium on Friday kept qualification hopes alive for Pakistan, who now need a big-margin win against Sri Lanka in their next match — either by 65 runs tentatively or by chasing the target inside 13 overs.
The match was dominated by allround brilliance from Will Jacks, who produced a match-winning performance with both bat and ball as England chased down 160, finishing at 161 for six in 19.3 overs. Jacks remained unbeaten on 32 off 18 balls, guiding England through a tense finish and ensuring his side stayed firmly in control of their Super 8 campaign.
The chase began nervously for England after losing Phil Salt (2) and Jos Buttler (0) cheaply inside the first two overs. Captain Harry Brook tried to anchor the innings with 26, while Jacob Bethell added 21.
However, New Zealand’s spin attack tightened the game in the middle overs, with Rachin Ravindra producing a superb spell of 3 for 19, dismissing Bethell, Tom Banton (33) and Sam Curran (24) in quick succession to leave England wobbling at 117 for six in the 17th over.
The turning point came when Jacks and Rehan Ahmed launched a brutal counterattack, adding 44 runs from just 16 balls. Jacks mixed caution with aggression before accelerating sharply, while Rehan smashed an unbeaten 19 off 7 balls with two sixes to tilt the contest decisively in England’s favour.
The match also featured a controversial but decisive final boundary. Facing Matt Henry, Jacks attempted a pull shot against a short-of-length delivery that brushed his helmet grille before racing to the boundary past the short fine-leg fielder.
England celebrated immediately, although replays suggested the ball should have been ruled as leg byes. The decision, however, did not change the result as England sealed victory with three balls to spare.
Earlier, New Zealand posted 159 for seven after opting to bat. Tim Seifert top-scored with 35, sharing a 64-run opening stand with Finn Allen (29). Glenn Phillips added 39 off 28 balls to stabilise the innings. England’s spinners also played a key role, with Jacks and **Adil Rashid** picking up two wickets each, while Rehan Ahmed also chipped in with two scalps to restrict New Zealand to a modest total.
The result strengthens England’s position in the Super 8 standings while leaving the qualification race wide open. For Pakistan, the scenario remains clear but demanding — a dominant victory in their upcoming fixture will be essential to keep knockout hopes alive after this result.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 159-7 (Tim Seifert 35, Finn Allen 29, Glenn Phillips 39; Will Jacks 2/23, Adil Rashid 2/28, Rehan Ahmed 2/28) lost to England 161-6 in 19.3 overs (Will Jacks 32*, Rehan Ahmed 19*, Tom Banton 33, Rachin Ravindra 3/19).
