England sealed a four-wicket win over New Zealand in their final Super Eight match of the T20 World Cup 2026 in Colombo. Already through to the semi-final, England chased down 160 in 19.3 overs to record their third straight win in the Super Eights. The loss means New Zealand must now wait for the result of the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka clash to know their fate.
Chasing 159, England were in deep trouble at 58 for 4. But their middle and lower order once again stepped up to guide them home.
England’s spin attack restricts New Zealand
Asked to bowl first at the Premadasa Stadium, England relied heavily on spin, and it worked well. They bowled 16 overs of spin, their most in a T20I, and all seven New Zealand wickets fell to spinners.
Adil Rashid gave the first breakthrough and finished with 2 for 28. Will Jacks continued his fine form with 2 for 23. On his T20 World Cup debut, Rehan Ahmed took a wicket with his very first ball and ended with 2 for 28. Liam Dawson also chipped in with a wicket.
New Zealand made a bright start. Tim Seifert scored 35, and Finn Allen made 29 as they powered the team to 54 for 0 in the power play. But the game changed in the seventh over when Rashid had Seifert stumped by Jos Buttler.
Glenn Phillips tried to hold the innings together with 39 off 28 balls. However, regular wickets in the middle overs slowed New Zealand down. They managed only 34 runs in the last five overs to finish on 159 for 7.
England recover from early collapse
New Zealand struck early with Matt Henry removing Phil Salt in the first over. Lockie Ferguson then dismissed Buttler, leaving England at 2 for 2.
Captain Harry Brook played a few attacking shots but fell after a good start. When Jacob Bethell also departed, England were 58 for 4 and under pressure.
Tom Banton scored 33, and Sam Curran added 24 to steady the chase. In the final overs, Jacks took charge. He smashed 22 runs in the 18th over and remained unbeaten on 32 off 18 balls. Ahmed also struck 19 off 7 balls to finish the game.
What’s next for New Zealand
With this defeat, New Zealand are not yet sure of a semi-final spot. Their qualification now depends on the result of the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka match.
