In the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, England defeated New Zealand by four wickets in a Super 8 Group 2 match at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo last night.
Chasing a target of 160 runs set by New Zealand, England reached 161 for 6 in 19.3 overs in a closely contested encounter. Tom Banton top-scored with 33 runs, while Will Jacks remained unbeaten on 32, guiding England to victory with three balls to spare. For New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra picked up three wickets, but his effort was not enough to stop England’s chase.
Earlier, after opting to bat first, New Zealand posted 159 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. Glenn Phillips scored 39 off 28 balls, and Tim Seifert contributed 35 runs to steady the innings. For England, Adil Rashid, Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed claimed two wickets each, restricting the Black Caps to a competitive but chaseable total.
Will Jacks was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance.
In today’s Super 8 Group 2 fixture, Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, with the match scheduled to begin at 7 pm local time.
Meanwhile, India strengthened their semifinal hopes by defeating Zimbabwe by 72 runs in a crucial Super Eight match in Chennai on Thursday. India will next face the West Indies in their final Super Eight clash at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata tomorrow. The outcome of that match will determine India’s progression in the tournament.
The semifinals of the T20 World Cup are scheduled for March 4 and 5, while the final will be played on March 8.
