Blackcaps miss chance to qualify for T20 World Cup semi-finals

It was one that got away for the Blackcaps who now rely on another result if they're to reach the T20 World Cup semi-finals.

They were rated an 80 percent chance to win the Super Eights match in Sri Lanka with England needing 43 runs to win from the final three overs.

But an unbeaten partnership of 44 runs off 16 balls between player of the match Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed took the game away as England reached the 160-run target with four wickets and three balls to spare.

"It was a good match. A tight match,” captain Mitchell Santner told Sky Sport.

“The way England kind of paced that chase and then obviously the way Willy J and Rehan put the finishing touches was good batting."

The 18th over of the chase proved to be a crucial one as England took down Blackcaps off-spinner Glenn Phillips for 22 runs including two sixes and two fours.

New Zealand weren’t able to wrestle back the advantage in the final two overs bowled by Santner and Matt Henry, who’s been granted permission to return home for the birth of his second child.

The Blackcaps made 159 or 7 batting first on the spinner-friendly pitch as Phillips top-scored with 39, aided by openers Tim Seifert (35) and Finn Allen (29).

Santner says they should’ve got more.

“I think we set up a good platform to target the last few overs, then lost a few there and we only kind of scraped to 160. Could have easily been 170.”

While the defeat will sting, the Blackcaps are still a good chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Pakistan needs to beat Sri Lanka by around 65 runs or chase down the total in about 13 overs to pass New Zealand on net run-rate.

It’ll be a nervous wait for the understated skipper.

“We'll probably be watching the game tomorrow (2.30AM NZT).” Santner said, with a wry smile on his face.