Colombo, Feb 27 (NationPress) New Zealand's Matt Henry is set to depart from the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign during the Super Eight round after being granted paternity leave. He will return home for the birth of his second child following the match against England at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Henry has emerged as one of New Zealand's standout bowlers in this tournament, achieving six wickets in five innings with an economy rate of 7.38, making him the joint-highest wicket-taker for his side.

“We are all thrilled for Matt and Holly as they welcome their second child,” stated New Zealand coach Rob Walter. “This is a crucial moment for their family, and we extend our best wishes to them.”

Despite the circumstances, Walter expressed hope that the fast bowler might still contribute in the later stages of the tournament. “A lot can change, but we remain optimistic that everything will align for both the team and Matt. We look forward to having him back in the final rounds of the competition,” he added.

Earlier in the tournament, another bowler, Lockie Ferguson, also took paternity leave, missing the group-stage match against Canada in Chennai before returning for the Super Eight clash against Sri Lanka on February 25.

If New Zealand triumphs over England in Colombo, they can secure their place in the semi-finals and finish at the top of Group 2 with five points.

This outcome would confirm their advancement and set them up to face the second-placed team from Group 1 in the semi-finals, with both knockout matches scheduled to take place in India.

However, their immediate focus is on recovering after England's spinners restricted them to 159/7 in 20 overs during the Super Eight match in Colombo.

Opting to bat first, New Zealand managed to recover from a sluggish start to establish a solid powerplay. Following a scoreless opening over by Jofra Archer, Finn Allen and Tim Seifert launched a counterattack.

The duo took on Sam Curran and Liam Dawson, racing to 54 runs in the next five overs without losing a wicket. Notably, this was the first time in seven matches that England failed to take a wicket during the powerplay.

The breakthrough finally came from Adil Rashid, whose clever delivery tempted Seifert (35) out of his crease, ending a 64-run opening partnership. This wicket was significant: with 41 wickets in T20 World Cups, Rashid edged closer to the record held by Shakib Al Hasan and surpassed Wanindu Hasaranga on the all-time list. Only Adam Zampa (44) and Rashid Khan (43) are ahead of him.

Will Jacks then made his mark in his first over, as Allen (29) was caught by Jacob Bethell in the deep, interrupting New Zealand's strong start. From a commanding 64 without loss, the Kiwis found themselves needing to rebuild.

Glenn Phillips attempted to stabilize the innings, adding 31 runs with Rachin Ravindra (11), who misplayed a pull off Rehan Ahmed. Mark Chapman (15) collaborated with Phillips for 26 runs, but as wickets continued to tumble, the pressure mounted.

Jacks returned to dismiss Phillips for a respectable 39 off 28 balls, securing his second wicket of the evening and leaving New Zealand at six down. The innings never fully regained its momentum after this, as the last four wickets contributed only 36 runs.

Rashid, Jacks, and Ahmed each took two wickets, effectively restricting New Zealand to 159/7.