England secured top spot in their Super 8 group with a thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in Colombo, chasing down 160 with three balls to spare. Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed's unbeaten partnership turned the game from a precarious 117 for six. The result gives Pakistan a lifeline to qualify for the semifinals.
In a tense Super 8 encounter at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 27, 2026, New Zealand elected to bat first and posted 159 for seven in their 20 overs. Glenn Phillips top-scored with 39 off 28 balls, supported by Tim Seifert's 35 off 25 and Finn Allen's 29 off 19. England's spinners dominated, with Will Jacks taking two for 23, Adil Rashid two for 28, and debutant Rehan Ahmed two for 28, while Liam Dawson claimed one for 32. The Black Caps lost momentum in the death overs, adding just 24 runs in the final three while losing four wickets, as noted by captain Mitchell Santner: 'We set up a good platform to target the last few overs then lost a few wickets to only scrape to 160. It could have easily been 170.'