New Zealand and England locked horns in game 49 of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. The two sides took on each other at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 27. The clash saw England put in an exceptional performance and register a win by four wickets.
The game began with New Zealand coming in to bat first after winning the toss. The side opened its innings with Tim Seifert and Finn Allen scoring 35 and 29 runs, respectively. Rachin Ravindra added 11 runs to the board, alongside Glenn Phillips, who added 39 runs to the board.
Mark Chapman and Cole McConchie added 15 and 14 runs, respectively, as New Zealand posted a total of 159 runs in the first innings of the game. As for England, Adil Rashid, Will Jacks, and Rehan Ahmed were the highest wicket takers with two wickets each to their
names. Liam Dawson took one wicket as well.
Speaking of the run chase, England opened their innings with Jos Buttler departing on a duck and Phil Salt scoring just two runs. Harry Brook added 26 runs on the board, with Jacob Bethell adding 21. Tom Banton scored 33 runs in 24 deliveries, with Sam Curran scoring 24.
It all looked done and dusted for England, but the performance of Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks saw England pull the game back. The two star batters scored 19* and 32* to chase down the target, and defeated New Zealand by four wickets.
The win for England also means that Pakistan still has a chance to make it to the knockout stages of the tournament. The Men in Green are slated to take on Sri Lanka at the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium on February 28.