https://www.hindustantimes.com/
England 166/4
New Zealand 167/5
England had the game in their hands, just as they had five years ago on a dazzling night in Kolkata. And it was taken away from them by not one, but two big-hitting all-rounders.
The problem was solved by subtracting 57 from 24. A ball that scores more than two runs. There was no dew here, despite the fact that circumstances in this tournament have favored the side batting second. On these dry UAE grounds, the single most important factor that makes scoring simple was missing. That’s why Mitchell could only hit one boundary in the first ten overs of a 167-run chase. Guptill and Williamson were ejected for single-digits as a result of this.
Jordan walked on to bowl and leaked a huge six-over square leg just as Neesham and everyone else watching was suffering from the déjà vu experience. As one of England’s go-to players buckled under duress, that shot became the centerpiece of New Zealand’s remarkable comeback, with 23 runs coming off an eight-ball 17th over, including a relay catch that swiftly evolved into another massive six.
New Zealand suddenly only needed 34 runs from 18 balls. It was Mitchell’s turn to wrap things up. He positioned himself deep in his crease. In the 19th over, three hard hits – two over the ropes and one onto it – gave beautiful, incredible, and eternal triumph.
This semi-final seemed like two heavyweight fighters weighing in on each other. However, there was no actual knockout punch. England switched from their traditional T20 strategy of attacking every ball to a more sophisticated one of respecting every delivery. England’s strategy spared them from early wickets, but it put a lot of pressure on the middle order. This is a middle-order that hasn’t spent a lot of time in the center of the tournament. Dawid Malan, on the other hand, was in complete command of the situation. With the majority of England’s batting tonight centered on left-handed blades, Mitchell Santner, New Zealand’s top spinner, only bowled one of his four overs.
Woakes, who had been out of T20I cricket for five-and-a-half years before this World Cup, took both of those wickets and sent England back home. This team takes pride in being at the forefront of both batting and bowling technology.
Now that the Kiwis have entered the final, the question is who will they face – Pakistan or Australia?