New Zealand’s T20 World Cup campaign has reached a do-or-die phase. After a solid victory over Sri Lanka, the Black Caps have no margin for error in their final Super 8 match. They need a convincing win against a formidable English side to officially secure their spot in the semi-finals and eliminate Pakistan from the tournament.
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New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bat first against Harry Brook’s England in their high-stakes encounter in Colombo on Friday.
Santner highlighted the dry nature of the pitch as the primary reason for his decision. “We will bat first. You have to win the games to win the World Cup,” Santner said at the toss. “We are up for the challenge tonight. The wicket looks good and should play similarly to what we got against Sri Lanka.” The Kiwis will field an unchanged playing XI for this crucial tie.
On the other hand, England captain Harry Brook admitted he would have also opted to bat first after observing the heavy spin on offer at the venue. Brook confirmed one tactical change to their side, with spinner Rehan Ahmed replacing pacer Jamie Overton to exploit the turning track. While unbeaten England has already booked their semi-final ticket, it will be eager to maintain their winning momentum before the knockouts.
Playing XIs
New Zealand XI: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson
England XI: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
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