England may not have ticked all the boxes in their Super 8 clash against New Zealand, but they still got the result that mattered. After their four-wicket win in Colombo sealed a semi-final spot at the 2026 T20 World Cup, Will Jacks made it clear that the pursuit of perfection is not what drives this England side.
England’s Super 8 campaign has been defined by composure rather than excellence. Their wins over Sri Lanka, Pakistan and now New Zealand may have been narrow, but they have remained unbeaten by consistently seizing key moments. Speak after England won by 4 wickets over New ZealandWill Jacks said the team’s focus was on winning key stages of matches rather than striving for the ideal performance every time.
ENG vs NZ T20 WORLD CUP 2026: MAIN | SCORECARD
“We’ve won six out of seven games and qualified for the semi-finals. At the end of the day, nobody cares. Of course we want to play well there, but we’re not gutted that we didn’t play a perfect game because we’re winning,” Jacks said in a post-match press conference.
He also pointed out how unrealistic it is to expect complete control in a format as volatile as T20 cricket.
“And that’s T20 cricket, that’s a professional sport. It’s also incredibly difficult to do that. You’re playing against a very strong team who are as prepared as you are and they know what they’re trying to do and they’re also trying to play the perfect game.”
Jacks credited England’s composure in pressure situations as a defining factor in their run.
“I think what we did well is in the key moments we kept a calm and clear head and we were able to negotiate them well.
HOW ENGLAND RUINED NEW ZEALAND
England’s win over New Zealand was shaped by Jacks’ all-round contribution. He bowled a crucial spell of 2 for 23 with the ball, removing the in-form batsmen of Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips and restricting the Black Caps to 159.
His impact did not end there. In the chase, Jacks returned to finish the job with an unbeaten 32 off 18 balls, leading England home with authority in the closing stages.
The win saw England top Super 8 Group 2 with six points and enter the semi-finals unbeaten. More importantly, it underscored the approach Jacks was talking about. England may not have played a perfect game but they controlled the crucial moments and that often counts the most in tournament cricket.
T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup Schedule | T20 World Cup Points Table | T20 World Cup Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
28 Feb 2026 09:25 IST
