Colombo, Feb 27 (NationPress) In a thrilling encounter, Rehan Ahmed's remarkable late performance of an unbeaten 19 runs from just 7 balls, along with Will Jacks' steady innings of 32 runs off 18 balls, propelled England to a four-wicket victory against New Zealand during the Group 2 Super 8s match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday.

Chasing a target of 160, England faced early challenges as Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson struck with wickets within the first eight deliveries. Phil Salt and Jos Buttler fell quickly, leaving England with a mere two runs on the board. New Zealand seemed poised to dominate in the initial overs, but captain Harry Brook anchored the innings. He partnered with Jacob Bethell to build an unbeaten 45-run partnership for the third wicket by the end of the powerplay.

Glenn Phillips made his mark by taking a wicket with his very first delivery, sending Brook back for 26 runs, marking a crucial moment for New Zealand.

Phillips then executed a stunning catch to dismiss Bethell (21), and suddenly, England found themselves in a precarious position as they lost two wickets in rapid succession.

Earlier, New Zealand's innings started on a high note. Jofra Archer bowled a commendable first over but soon lost his rhythm. Both Finn Allen and Tim Seifert settled in well, countering the impressive bowling from Sam Curran and Liam Dawson.

After a scoreless first over, New Zealand accumulated 54 runs in the following five overs, completing their mandatory batting powerplay without losing a wicket for the first time in seven matches against England.

Adil Rashid finally broke the opening stand of 64 runs with a clever delivery that drew Seifert (35) out of his crease. With 41 wickets in T20 World Cup history, Rashid is now closing in on the record of most wickets held by Shakib Al Hasan and has surpassed Wanindu Hasaranga. Currently, only Adam Zampa (44) and Rashid Khan (43) are ahead of him.

Will Jacks made an immediate impact, dismissing Finn Allen (29), who misjudged a shot, bringing an end to New Zealand's aggressive start.

After the openers' departure, Glenn Phillips stood out as he battled against England's quality spin, forming a 31-run partnership with Rachin Ravindra (11), who was eventually caught after mistiming a pull shot off Rehan Ahmed. Mark Chapman (15) contributed 26 runs alongside Phillips, but soon fell victim as New Zealand continued to lose wickets.

Will Jacks capped off an impressive performance by claiming his second wicket, sending Phillips back to the pavilion after a solid 39 runs off 28 balls, as England ramped up the pressure towards the end of New Zealand's innings.

New Zealand's innings faltered as they lost their last four wickets for just 36 runs, with Rashid, Jacks, and Ahmed each taking two wickets, leaving the Kiwis at 159/7.

All-rounder Sam Curran and Tom Banton then rallied with the bat, putting together a partnership of 42 runs off 35 balls. In his 50th T20I match, Ravindra claimed his second wicket by dismissing Curran (24), giving New Zealand a glimmer of control. Ravindra excelled once again under the lights against England.

With two sharp catches, a wicket, and being the top scorer for the Black Caps, Phillips showcased his importance as New Zealand eyed victory.

With 43 runs needed off 18 balls, Phillips faced a barrage of two sixes and several boundaries, conceding 22 runs. Santner, bowling the penultimate over, was hit for a boundary on his first delivery by Rehan Ahmed and a six on his last delivery, resulting in 16 runs.

Henry, bowling the final over, struggled to defend the runs as England clinched victory by four wickets with three balls to spare.

Final scores:

New Zealand 159/7 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 39, Tim Seifert 35; Will Jacks 2-23, Adil Rashid 2-28) lost to England 161/6 in 19.3 overs (Tom Banton 33, Harry Brook 26; Rachin Ravindra 3-19, Lockie Ferguson 1-14) by four wickets.