Dawn
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17:46 Feb 27, 2026
Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks smashed 44 off 16 balls to take England to a thrilling four-wicket T20 World Cup win in Colombo that denied New Zealand a guaranteed place in the semi-finals but kept Pakistan’s slender hopes alive. New Zealand would have joined England in the knockouts with a win in their final Super Eights match and they scored 159-6 after opting to bat. England lost wickets early and looked like they would be squeezed out at 117-6, needing 43 from the last three overs. But Ahmed and Jacks took 22 off the 18th over from Glenn Phillips to turn the match on its head. Ahmed blasted 19 off seven balls in his first T20 World Cup match alongside Jacks, who made an unbeaten 32 off 18, to see England to 161-6 with three balls to spare. England will move on to a semi-final in Mumbai on Thursday against either India or the West Indies, who clash on Sunday to decide the final semi-final berth. New Zealand now have to wait on the outcome of Saturday’s clash between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Kandy to know if t...