Today Cricket Match: England's Colombo win dents New Zealand's semi-final hopes and hands Pakistan a path to advance
Why this matters now: England’s narrow chase in Colombo reshapes who faces elimination and who still controls its fate. In the today cricket match, England reached 160 to win by four wickets with three balls to spare; New Zealand’s defeat creates a direct route for Pakistan to reach the semis—but only if Pakistan beats Sri Lanka on Saturday and overturns the net-run-rate gap. For teams and fans, the standings in Group 2 of the Super 8s just tightened dramatically.
Today Cricket Match impact: who feels the swing first
England’s victory affects three squads most immediately. New Zealand saw its semi-final hopes dented by the loss. Pakistan now has a clear, conditional opportunity: win against Sri Lanka on Saturday at 13: 15 GMT and rely on a net-run-rate swing to progress. England, already through to the semi-finals, will finish top of Group 2 in the Super 8s, but their last-four opponent is still to be confirmed.
Match essentials embedded in the result
The match in Colombo — listed as the 49th Match of the Super Eights, Group 2 on February 27, 2026 — ended with an England chase of 160. England reached the target by four wickets with three balls to spare. A late, unbroken 44-run partnership between Will Jacks and a batter named Ahmed got England over the line; a dramatic moment came when the ball struck Jacks’ helmet and raced to the boundary for four. England’s batting came after a bowling performance that featured an unusual spin-heavy plan: Rashid, Jacks and Ahmed each took two wickets as England bowled a record 16 overs of spin during the contest.
Individual form lines were mixed. Jos Buttler was dismissed for a two-ball duck, continuing what was described as a miserable run and leaving England at 2-2 in the tournament. Despite that, England’s group position is secure; finishing top of Group 2 is confirmed, though the identity of their semi-final opponent remains undecided.
Player form, leadership comments and dressing-room signals
England’s captain addressed Buttler’s poor form by urging perspective: Buttler has played a large number of matches, remains a leading white-ball player, and is in a rough patch that the captain believes can be turned around in coming games. On Will Jacks, the captain praised him as a genuine batter with Test experience and raw power, pointing to an earlier example this summer where Jacks confidently hit through the covers as a sign of maturity instead of a lower-order wild swing. On a possible semi-final in Mumbai against either India or West Indies, the captain said the team would not be fazed and stressed small details would be decisive against powerful opposition.
What New Zealand’s loss means for the Super 8s picture
New Zealand’s defeat opens a door for Pakistan: to take it, Pakistan must beat Sri Lanka on Saturday and rely on net run-rate movement in their favour. The Pakistan vs Sri Lanka fixture is scheduled for Saturday at 13: 15 GMT, a match New Zealand will be watching with interest. The tournament math is now sensitive to margin-of-victory swings, making Saturday’s meeting a do-or-die scenario for Pakistan’s hopes.
- Match: 49th Match, Super Eights Group 2, Colombo — February 27, 2026
- Target chased: England chased 160 and won by four wickets with three balls to spare
- Decisive partnership: Will Jacks and Ahmed — unbroken 44
- Bowling note: England bowled a record 16 overs of spin; Rashid, Jacks and Ahmed each took two wickets
- Key form line: Buttler out for a two-ball duck; England now 2-2 in tournament results
- Next pivotal match: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka — Saturday, 13: 15 GMT (Pakistan must win and rely on net run-rate)
Here's the part that matters: England’s result locks their top spot in Group 2 but hands New Zealand a sudden, precarious path; the pressure now shifts to Pakistan and Sri Lanka to settle who joins the last four.
A short note on coverage and additional material: radio commentary was available around the match, there was an embedded visualization that could not be displayed in some browsers, and readers were invited to contribute using an on-page “Get Involved” function. Matthew Henry produced a report on England’s four-wicket win for readers seeking a fuller match narrative.
It’s easy to overlook, but England’s use of 16 overs of spin and the three two-wicket hauls between Rashid, Jacks and Ahmed point to a tactical pivot that may influence how opponents prepare in the knockout phase. The real question now is whether Pakistan can produce the margin of victory needed to swing net run-rate in their favour on Saturday.
Writer’s aside: the late helmet boundary off Jacks’ head summed up a game of fine margins — a single ricochet altered a team’s tournament trajectory and handed a rival a lifeline.
