New Zealand Vs England: Rehan Ahmed’s cameo seals thrilling Super 8s win in Colombo
new zealand vs england produced a tense finish in Colombo on February 27, 2026, as Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks added an unbroken 44 to chase 160 and give England a four-wicket victory with three balls to spare — a result that all but locked England into the top spot in Group 2 of the Super 8s and left New Zealand’s semi-final fate dependent on Pakistan’s result on Saturday.
Late charge: Ahmed and Jacks finish the job
England reached 161-6 in 19. 3 overs while chasing 160 after New Zealand posted 159-7 from their 20 overs at Colombo; the match is listed as the 49th Match, Super Eights, Group 2. Rehan Ahmed finished 19 not out off seven balls and claimed 2-28 with his leg-spin, and Will Jacks remained 32 not out off 18 as their unbeaten seventh-wicket stand of 44 from 16 deliveries swung the game in England’s favour.
Bowling board and key innings
New Zealand elected to bat and were led by Glenn Phillips (39 off 28) and Tim Seifert (35 off 25) as Rachin Ravindra took 3-19. For England, spinners dominated: Will Jacks (2-23), Adil Rashid (2-28) and Rehan Ahmed (2-28) shared the wickets and England bowled a record 16 overs of spin in the match.
New Zealand Vs England: crucial moments and stubborn batting
The batting chase featured contributions across the order for England — Tom Banton top-scored with 33 off 24, Harry Brook made 26 off 24 and Sam Curran scored 24 off 22 — but the match turned when Ahmed and Jacks smoked the 18th over from Glenn Phillips for 22, then attacked Mitchell Santner’s 19th over for 16; the winning runs came off Matt Henry halfway through the 20th. England also benefited when a delivery struck Jacks’ helmet and raced to the boundary for four.
Captain’s words and concern over Buttler’s form
Captain Harry Brook defended Jos Buttler amid his struggles, noting Buttler had played 150 games and calling him “probably the best white-ball player to play the game, ” while saying Buttler was “in a rut” but had “fire in his belly. ” Buttler registered a two-ball duck in Colombo — his fifth single-figure return in a row — a sequence Brook urged observers to temper in their judgments.
What this means for the Super 8s and Pakistan’s role
England were already through to the knockout stages after earlier wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and the victory in Colombo ensures they will finish top of Group 2 in the Super 8s, though who they will face in the semi-finals remains to be confirmed. New Zealand’s defeat opens the door for Pakistan: Pakistan must beat Sri Lanka on Saturday — the match scheduled to be covered at 13: 15 GMT in the provided coverage — and rely on a net run-rate swing to overhaul the Black Caps in Group 2, with a Pallekele result capable of changing the semi-final line-up.
Scenes, reaction and next steps
Players noted a lighter moment before the match when New Zealand’s national anthem was played at warp-speed, to the amusement of the touring side. Commentary was available on Radio 5 Live Sport and fans were invited to have their say using the ‘Get Involved’ button on the match page; readers were also pointed to Matthew Henry’s report on England’s four-wicket win. England are set to appear in the second semi-final in Mumbai on Thursday March 5, with New Zealand expected to feature in the first semi on Wednesday unless Pakistan overturn the net run-rate equation in Pallekele on Saturday.
That’s all from the Colombo coverage: England will finish top of Group 2 in the Super 8s but who they meet in the last four is still to be confirmed.
