At the R. Premadasa Stadium, New Zealand posted 159/7 after opting to bat first as their innings never quite got off the ground despite handy contributions from their batters. England’s spinners, led by Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed, raced through the middle overs, helping the Black Caps finish with their lowest total of the tournament.
In reply, England lost Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, and at 117/6 in the 17th over the chase looked far away. But Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed added 44 runs off just 16 balls, dismissing Glenn Phillips in a 22-run over before finishing the job with three balls to spare. England won by four wickets, ending the Super 8 stage unbeaten and confirming their place in the semi-finals.
Particularly because of their victory, New Zealand ended up with three points instead of five. Had the Black Caps won, Pakistan would have been eliminated. Instead, the loss has kept Pakistan alive in the competition.
Pakistan’s qualification scenario
Pakistan are currently on one point after a defeat against New Zealand and a defeat against England. With New Zealand on three points, Pakistan must beat Sri Lanka in their final Super 8 match in Pallekele to move up on points level. However, a simple win won’t be enough as the Net Run Rate (NRR) will decide who goes from Group 2 to face England in the semi-finals.
Scenario 1:
If Pakistan bats first, they will have to beat Sri Lanka by at least 64 runs.
Scenario 2:
If Sri Lanka bats first, Pakistan will have to chase down the target in 13.1 overs or less. If that is less, New Zealand will advance to the semi-finals.
Updated points table (Super 8 Group 2)
| SR.no | Team | Competitions | Points | Net execution rate |
| 1 | England (Q) | 3 | 6 | 1,096 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 3 | 3 | 1,390 |
| 3 | Pakistan | 2 | 1 | – 0.461 |
| 4 | Sri Lanka (E) | 2 | 0 | – 2,800 |
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