A controversial decision against in-form Kane Williamson at a crucial stage of the game, helped England reach the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy, leaving New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Australia fighting for the other spot. Sri Lanka need just a victory to march to the semis. Australia need to beat Sri Lanka by a huge margin to get a place in the semis. Or else, New Zealand will get through.
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Earlier, New Zealand won the toss and elected to field first in the rain-affected match, which was reduced to 24-overs a side. England posted 169 in 23.3 overs. Alastair Cook was the top scorer with 64. Joe Root made 38. England lost the last 6 wickets for just 28 runs. For Kiwis, Kyle Mills took 4 wickets, while McClenaghan took 3 wickets.
Chasing a victory target of 169 (under D/L method), New Zealand finished at 159/8 in 24 overs and lost the match by 10 runs. Kane Williamson was the top scorer with 67, while debutant Corey Anderson made 30. For England, James Anderson took three wickets. Bresnan and Bopara took two wickets each. Cook was declared ‘Man of the Match’.
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