New Zealand knocked co-hosts Sri Lanka out of the T20 World Cup on Wednesday with a 61-run win in Colombo that boosted their semi-final hopes.
Sri Lanka needed an emphatic win to stay alive but instead exited with a whimper, limping to 107-8 chasing New Zealand’s 168-7.
A win for New Zealand against England on Friday at the same R. Premadasa stadium would see them top the Super Eights group and qualify for the semi-finals along with Harry Brook’s side.
A defeat would open the door for Pakistan, who would probably need a big win against Sri Lanka in Kandy on Saturday to sneak through on net run rate.
Sri Lanka were never in the chase as Matt Henry dismissed their leading batsman Pathum Nissanka with the first ball of the innings.
Henry also removed Chairth Asalanka with the first ball of his second over to leave Sri Lanka in trouble at 6-2.
Sri Lanka crawled to 20-2 at the end of the six-over power play, the lowest in the competition and Sri Lanka’s second lowest ever in T20 internationals.
Part-time spinner Rachin Ravindra found turn to put the game beyond Sri Lanka with a career-best 4-27.
Ravindra had a charging Kusal Mendis stumped and then removed Pavan Rathnayake in similar fashion in the same over as the sellout crowd was stunned into silence.
“It is very embarrassing to disappoint the home crowd,” said Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka.
“We started really well, but to be honest, the Santner-McConchie and that partnership, it was a good one, which took the game away from us.”
New Zealand earlier recovered from a mini-collapse to reach 168-7.
“I think it was obviously a nice score there with the amount of spin on the ball. They squeezed us a lot,” said New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner.
Sri Lanka were right in the game as New Zealand slumped from 84-3 to 84-6 in the space of six deliveries.
But an 84-run stand off just 47 deliveries for the seventh wicket between Cole McConchie and Santner enabled them to set a tricky target on a turning pitch.
Skipper Santner top scored with 47 off 26 balls with two fours and four sixes.
McConchie, recalled to the side, posted an unbeaten 31 off 23 balls
New Zealand were struggling to read Maheesh Theekshana as the spinner claimed 3-9 in his first three overs.
New Zealand blasted 70 off the last four overs, including 21 off the final one from Theekshana.
Pace bowler Dushmantha Chameera finished with 3-38.
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