T20 World Cupअ: Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed Turn the Game Around, England Defeat New Zealand by 4 Wickets

Colombo

In a Super-8 clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 on Friday, England defeated New Zealand by four wickets. Chasing a target of 160, England achieved the total with three balls to spare, losing six wickets in the process. In the final overs, Will Jacks’ explosive batting turned the game in England’s favor.

England did not get off to a good start while chasing 160. Phil Salt was dismissed for just 2 runs by Matt Henry. Out-of-form Jos Buttler returned to the pavilion without opening his account. After losing two early wickets, captain Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell tried to stabilize the innings, adding 48 runs for the third wicket.

Brook scored 26 off 24 balls, while Bethell made 21 runs with four boundaries. At 58 for 4, Sam Curran and Tom Banton rebuilt the innings with a 42-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Curran scored 24 off 22 balls, and Banton contributed 33 runs, including three fours and a six. At 117 for 6, England appeared to be in deep trouble.

However, Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed stitched together an unbeaten 44-run partnership off just 16 balls to seal the victory. Jacks remained not out on 32 off 18 balls. The turning point came in the 18th over when Jacks smashed 22 runs off Glenn Phillips. Rehan scored a quick 19 off 7 balls to guide England home. For New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra took 3 wickets for 19 runs, while Matt Henry and Phillips claimed one wicket each.

Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat, New Zealand posted 159 for 7 in 20 overs. Tim Seifert and Finn Allen provided a brisk start, adding 64 runs for the first wicket in 6.6 overs. Seifert scored 35 off 25 balls with three fours and two sixes, while Allen made 29 off 19 balls. Rachin Ravindra managed only 11 runs.

Glenn Phillips played a fine knock of 39 off 28 balls, including four fours and a six. Daryl Mitchell scored 3, Mark Chapman added 15, and captain Mitchell Santner remained unbeaten on 9.

For England, Adil Rashid took 2 wickets for 28 runs in four overs. Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed also picked up two wickets each. With this defeat, New Zealand’s path to the semifinals has become difficult. They will now hope Sri Lanka defeat Pakistan in Saturday’s match.

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