T20 World Cup: New Zealand beat England to reach final
New Zealand overcame England in the first semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 to reach the finale. They will await the winner of the second semi-final between Pakistan and Australia. Put into bat, England rode on Moeen Ali's half-century to post 166/4. New Zealand (167/5) were reduced to 107/4 but Jimmy Neesham (27) and Daryl Mitchell (72*) helped them win.
How did the match pan out?
The England openers added 37 runs before NZ reduced them to 53/2. Moeen and Dawid Malan added a valiant 63-run stand as Liam Livingstone's cameo (17 off 10) helped England get past 160. In response, England picked up two early wickets (13/2). However, Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell rallied back for the Kiwis. England fought back but Neesham and Mitchell stood tall for NZ.
Moeen and Malan script these feats
For England, Moeen played a big hand, scoring an unbeaten 51 from 37 deliveries. The southpaw hammered three fours and two sixes. Moeen smashed his third T20I fifty. He also got past 500 career T20I runs (529), becoming the 14th Englishman to do so. Malan scored a 30-ball 41. He surpassed the 1,200-run mark (1,239). He went past Afghanistan's Najibullah Zadran (1,232).
Malan continues his fine form against the Kiwis
Malan has a knack of scoring runs against NZ and tonight it was no different. The southpaw has amassed 361 runs in seven matches against NZ at an average of 60.16. His scores read 59 (40), 53 (36), 11 (13), 39 (29), 55 (34), 103* (51), and 41 (30). He has hit 33 fours and 17 sixes. Malan has a strike rate of 154.93.
Sodhi continues to excel, Southee equals Malinga's mark
Ish Sodhi (1/32) has been amongst the wickets in every match of this ICC T20 World Cup. He has nine wickets from six matches in the ongoing tourney. The right-arm spinner has claimed 82 T20Is wickets at 21.21. Tim Southee (1/24) was excellent once again. The veteran pacer is now the joint-second highest wicket-taker in T20Is. He equaled Lasith Malinga's tally of 107 scalps.
Feats achieved by Conway and Mitchell
Conway hit a 38-ball 46 for New Zealand. Playing his 20th T20I, Conway has gone past 600 runs (602). He has an average of 50.16. He became the seventh Kiwi international to surpass 600-plus runs in T20Is. Mitchell slammed his maiden T20I fifty. He struck a 47-ball 72*, hitting, four fours and four sixes. He has gotten past the 300-run mark.
Notable records for New Zealand
New Zealand have reached their third successive final in ICC events. They were the runners-up in the ICC World Cup 2019 and then won the ICC World Test Championship next in 2021. New Zealand have won their first T20 World Cup semi-final.
