Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi shakes hands with England’s captain Harry Brook after he is bowled out during the T20 World Cup cricket match between England and Pakistan in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP)

Already through to the semifinals, England defeated New Zealand by four wickets in their final Super Eights match of the T20 World Cup on Friday, finishing the stage unbeaten and keeping Pakistan in contention for the semifinal spot.England now have three wins from three matches in the Super Eights. New Zealand sit second in Group 2 with three points, while Pakistan are third with one point. Pakistan must register a big win against already-eliminated Sri Lanka on Saturday to move ahead of New Zealand and qualify for the semifinals.Earlier, New Zealand opted to bat and posted 159 for 7 in 20 overs. Their batters made starts but did not convert them into bigger scores. Glenn Phillips scored 39, Tim Seifert made 35, Finn Allen got 29 and Mark Chapman added 15.For England, Will Jacks returned 2/23, Adil Rashid took 2/28 and Rehan Ahmed also claimed 2/28. Liam Dawson picked up 1/32.In reply, England were reduced to 2/2 before recovering through contributions from Tom Banton (33), Will Jacks (32 not out), captain Harry Brook (26), Sam Curran (24) and Rehan Ahmed (19 not out). England reached 161 for 6 in 19.3 overs.For New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra was the most successful bowler with figures of 3/19.

Pakistan Semifinal Qualification Scenario

The win for England has kept Pakistan alive in this T20 World Cup 2026. New Zealand and Pakistan remain in contention for the remaining semifinal place from the group.To confirm the maths for Pallekele tomorrow: Pakistan will need to beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs or chase in 13.1 overs, otherwise NZ will go through.Brief Scores:New Zealand: 159 for 7 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 39, Tim Seifert 35; Will Jacks 2/23)England: 161 for 6 in 19.3 overs (Will Jacks 32 not out; Rachin Ravindra 3/19).