Pakistan stay alive for semis berth after England beat New Zealand in Colombo
India Today
T20 World Cup, ENG vs NZ: England beat New Zealand by four wickets in Colombo on Saturday after chasing down 160 with three balls to spare. With England's win, Pakistan also stayed alive in the competition and will have everything to play for when they face Sri Lanka.
Brief scores: England (161/6 in 19.3 ov) beat New Zealand (159/7 in 20 ov) by 4 wickets in Colombo in a Super 8 match.
ENG vs NZ T20 WORLD CUP 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Pakistan stayed alive in the T20 World Cup after England outclassed New Zealand by four wickets in their Super 8 encounter on Friday, February 27, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. England marched through the Super 8 stage unbeaten with the win, while the defeat left New Zealand’s semi-final destiny hanging by a thread and no longer entirely in their own hands.
For Pakistan, the equation is now clear. Salman Agha’s men will have everything to play for when they take on Sri Lanka in their final Super 8 fixture on Saturday, February 28, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. A strong performance could propel them into the semifinals, but net run rate could yet prove decisive.
For Pakistan to qualify, they must either win by 65 runs or more, or chase down the target in approximately 13 overs to secure the required net run rate advantage. New Zealand, meanwhile, are left watching and waiting, hoping Pakistan stumble and fail to overhaul them on net run rate. The race to the last four has come down to fine margins, and high drama.
It was no surprise that New Zealand chose to bat first, given how difficult chasing has been in Colombo. Jofra Archer made a superb start, bowling a maiden over, while Tim Seifert survived an early caught-behind appeal. After a cautious beginning, Seifert and Finn Allen shifted gears, playing their shots fluently to guide New Zealand to 54 in the powerplay without losing a wicket.
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