Eng Vs Nz — eng vs nz: Santner, McConchie steer New Zealand to 61‑run Super 8s win
New Zealand produced a dominant display to beat Sri Lanka by 61 runs in the Super Eights on February 25, 2026, in Colombo. The eng vs nz contest saw Mitch Santner make 47 off 26 and Cole McConchie score 31 off 23 as New Zealand posted 168-7 and Sri Lanka were all out for 107-8 while chasing 169.
Match summary and key figures
New Zealand finished on 168-7 after a dramatic middle session. Earlier, New Zealand lost three wickets for no runs, slipping to 84-6, before the partnership between Santner and McConchie rebuilt the innings. Sri Lanka, chasing 169, were dismissed for 107-8. Ravindra finished with 4-27 for Sri Lanka. Theekshana and Chameera shared success with "Three wickets for Theekshana and Chameera" in the bowling effort.
Eng Vs Nz partnership significance
The stand between Santner and McConchie proved decisive. Santner struck 47 off 26 deliveries and McConchie contributed 31 off 23, a combination that pushed New Zealand to a defendable 168-7. Sam Drury’s match report framed the result as a "stunning 61-run victory" for New Zealand.
Sri Lanka collapse and bowling
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field first in Colombo, leaving their chase exposed. The home side slipped to 107-8 while chasing 169; the scoreline reflected pressure from both the seam and spin attacks. Ravindra’s 4-27 was the leading individual bowling return, and the match summary notes "Three wickets for Theekshana and Chameera" as further damage that stifled Sri Lanka’s reply.
Captains' reactions and remarks
Mitch Santner, captain of New Zealand, highlighted a favourable period for his side with bat and ball, saying: "There was obviously a nice little period for us with the track and with the ball. They squeezed us a lot, I think we lost three wickets on 84 which is never ideal. " He added that he and Cole McConchie had aimed for a platform of 140 to set up the finish, and judged 160-odd as a reasonable total: "The longer we could take it, myself and Cole [McConchie] were thinking we would try to get to 140, which kind of set it up for the last two or three overs. I guess 160 wasn't a bad total from there. "
On his own innings Santner said he was happy to make the most of time at the crease after a poor four off 10 in the previous game: "Well I wasn't particularly happy with my four off 10 in the last game! It's one of those wickets where, if you can get in and give yourself a bit of time, you can cash in. It was pretty tough to start out there, so to hit 160 was nice. " He reflected on the conditions: "It looked like a pretty wicket at the toss. We have watched a few games here and it has kind of been a case of the more you bowl, the more it spins. Also, on the seam was quite nice and effective. " On the quick turnaround to face England he added: "They are outstanding, we know that. It is a quick turnaround for us. If we play on something similar to this, it might be a bit of a slog-fest as well. "
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka did not hide his disappointment: "It's embarrassing to disappoint the home crowd, they've been very supportive. We started really well but that partnership [between Santner and McConchie] was a really good one that took the game away from us. " He noted the team decision at the toss and the unexpected nature of the pitch: "Also, the decision to bat was a collective decision but we didn't expect the pitch to turn that much. We wanted to restrict them to 130 but, to be honest, they played really well so we must give them credit. " Shanaka added a forward-looking note: "One more game, we need to finish on a high so hopefully we can have our best game. "
Schedule and what’s next
The match was the 46th Match of the Super Eights, Group 2, in Colombo on February 25, 2026. Commentary packaging noted it "didn't bring as much drama as a Super 8s match-up normally would but, nevertheless, we really enjoyed taking you through it. " Viewers were invited to return the following day for more live-text coverage: West Indies take on South Africa at 09: 30 GMT and India face Zimbabwe at 13: 30 GMT. A separate question was also raised about England and their handling of Jos Buttler ahead of future fixtures: "What should England do about Jos Buttler?"
New Zealand's dominant display underlined by Santner and McConchie's partnership secured a 61-run win that leaves Sri Lanka searching for a strong finish in their last Super 8s game.
