England vs New Zealand LIVE T20 World Cup cricket result and reaction as England keep hopes alive

England met New Zealand knowing they needed a win to keep their T20 World Cup hopes in their own hands, and they delivered with a 20-run victory at the Gabba.

Jos Buttler’s side went with the same XI that suffered a shock defeat against Ireland but while they are a team who typically prefer to chase, playing on a used Gabba pitch prompted a change in strategy.

Buttler himself scored 73 as England set New Zealand a target of 180 to win, and although Glenn Phillips fired 62 to give the Kiwis hope, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran were particularly decisive with ball in hand to stem the run chase and keep England in with a shout of progressing from the group stage.

Follow all the reaction after England beat New Zealand in their must-win T20 World Cup clash:

England vs New Zealand

• England set New Zealand 180 to win

• England: Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.

• New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson (capt), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.

England beat New Zealand by 20 runs

11:29 , Lawrence Ostlere

Sam Curran bowls a brilliant final over to protect England’s net run-rate and damage New Zealand’s further, which could be relevant come the end of this group phase. England win by 20 runs.

New Zealand 154-6 (19 overs) chasing 180 to win

11:23 , Lawrence Ostlere

Chris Woakes sees out the penultimate over with Mitchell Santner trying but failing to hit boundaries, until the final ball of the over which he launches over long-on for six. New Zealand need 26 from six balls.

New Zealand 140-6 (18 overs) chasing 180 to win

11:18 , Lawrence Ostlere

Sam Curran has been excellent in this match. Two overs to go, and England have this win almost secured.

Wicket! Phillips c Jordan b Curran 62, New Zealand 135-5 (17.3 overs) chasing 180 to win

11:16 , Lawrence Ostlere

Glenn Phillips doesn’t quite catch one out of the screws and this time he’s gone, caught by Chris Jordan in the deep just as Mitchell was a few moments ago. A fine innings, but that is surely the end of New Zealand’s challenge here.

Wicket! Mitchell c Jordan b Woakes 3, New Zealand 131-5 (17 overs) chasing 180 to win

11:11 , Lawrence Ostlere

A brilliant over by Chris Woakes, reducing New Zealand only to singles and increasing the pressure, so much so that Daryl Mitchell feels compelled to go for broke and he’s caught on the rope by replacement fielder Chris Jordan. Advantage England.

New Zealand 126-4 (16 overs) chasing 180 to win

11:06 , Lawrence Ostlere

Daryl Mitchell is at the crease.

Wicket! Neesham c Curran b Wood 6, New Zealand 126-4 (15.4 overs) chasing 180 to win

11:03 , Lawrence Ostlere

Jimmy Neesham tries to lift Mark Wood over the leg-side, but he doesn’t have enough room to execute the shot and hangs it in the air for Sam Curran to catch. A big moment for England and Curran celebrates passionately.

New Zealand 123-3 (15 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:57 , Lawrence Ostlere

Jimmy Neesham slaps Stokes’ final ball for four through the leg side. The required run rate is at 11.40.

Wicket! Williamson b Stokes c Rashid 40, New Zealand 119-3 (14.5 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:56 , Lawrence Ostlere

Stokes comes into the attack for the first time today, and Phillips pulls fine over his shoulder for yet another boundary. He tries a ramp which fails and runs a single, but with the very next ball Williamson is gone mis-hitting to Rashid at short third man.

New Zealand 113-2 (14 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:51 , Lawrence Ostlere

Glenn Phillips slogs Adil Rashid twice over the leg-side boundary and into the crowd, huge back-to-back sixes! These are potentially match-defining runs. Phillips adds another couple to bring up his 50 and this is a brilliant knock. His bludgeoning style is complementing Kane Williamson’s more methodical approach nicely at this stage of the innings.

New Zealand 96-2 (13 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:47 , Lawrence Ostlere

Sam Curran is back into the attack, and he has half an appeal as Phillips swings blindly at a short ball. New Zealand keep the scoreboard ticking over but they need boundaries, and Curran doesn’t yield one.

New Zealand 86-2 (12 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:41 , Lawrence Ostlere

A huge six! Phillips stands and delivers, half-volleying Mark Wood deep into the crowd. Moeen might be regretting that drop.

New Zealand 76-2 (11 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:37 , Lawrence Ostlere

I’m still reeling from that drop. It was so bad that I can only conclude Moeen lost sight of it in the lights. Phillips drives a four off Livingstone as Rashid fails to stop it, then a top edge goes safe. England have unravelled a little bit and it’s game on.

New Zealand 66-2 (10 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:33 , Lawrence Ostlere

Oh wow. Phillips skies one up in the air for Moeen Ali to catch simply at cover, but somehow he gets nowhere near it! The ball rolls down his chest, bypassing his waiting hands, and that’s a shocking drop.

New Zealand 61-2 (9 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:29 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here is a little acceleration, as a few singles and twos are followed by a boundary off the final ball of the over from Williamson. Rashid will continue.

New Zealand 53-2 (8 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:27 , Lawrence Ostlere

Rashid gives away only six runs and the required run rate for New Zealand is more than 10 an over. They are going to need to accelerate. Ben Stokes is back in the field after that finger injury.

New Zealand 47-2 (7 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:22 , Lawrence Ostlere

Liam Livingstone is into the attack now – Buttler has used a variety of bowlers so far. He keeps it tight with just a few singles before Phillips knocks away for a boundary on the off-side off the final ball.

New Zealand 40-2 (6 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:19 , Lawrence Ostlere

The final over of the powerplay is bowled by Mark Wood. Glenn Phillips has joined captain Kane Williamson in the middle. Williamson flicks a four off his pads using the pace of Wood’s bowling, then Phillips survives an inside edge which also rushes away to the boundary. That was very close to the stumps.

New Zealand 28-2 (5 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:15 , Lawrence Ostlere

Ben Stokes immediately looked at his left index finger after that catch, and he’s replaced in the field by Chris Jordan. That’s the finger he broke which caused him huge problems in the IPL.

Wicket! Allen b Curran c Stokes 16, New Zealand 28-2 (5 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:13 , Lawrence Ostlere

Jos Buttler brings Sam Curran into the attack in order to target Finn Allen’s weakness against left-arm pace, and it works – Allen lifts the ball invitingly for Stokes to collect at mid-wicket.

New Zealand 26-1 (4 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:09 , Lawrence Ostlere

Finn Allen clobbers Woakes high all the way to the leg-side boundary, where Harry Brook meets it at the rope but can’t do anything to prevent the six. A few more runs arouns the ground and that’s a good over for the Kiwis.

New Zealand 14-1 (3 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:04 , Lawrence Ostlere

Rashid into the attack now, and his leg-spin keeps a lid on the run chase.

New Zealand 8-1 (2 overs) chasing 180 to win

10:00 , Lawrence Ostlere

That mistake by Conway came from Woakes’s pressure building through the over, and what a catch by Buttler, diving at full stretch and gathering in the fingertips of his gloves. Kane Williamson is at the crease.

Wicket! Conway b Woakes c Buttler 3, New Zealand 8-1 (1.5 overs) chasing 180 to win

09:58 , Lawrence Ostlere

Devon Conway picks up a couple off Chris Woakes’s first over and Finn Allen pinches a single, before Conway tries a ramp and flicks up for Buttler to fly through the air and catch behind the stumps!

New Zealand 4-0 (1 over) chasing 180 to win

09:53 , Lawrence Ostlere

Moeen Ali bowls England’s first over and it’s a good one, offering a couple of opportunities for a slip – had there been one – and ceding only four runs to Devon Conway and Finn Allen.

New Zealand need 180 to win

09:45 , Lawrence Ostlere

Jos Buttler was brilliant, if occasionally a little lucky, as he put on 73 and set the platform, and Hales and Livingstone contributed too. The only sticking point for England is whether they might have put on more runs in the final few overs, particularly given the quality they had in reserve with Stokes and Malan coming to the crease late. Even so, 179 is a good score and Eoin Morgan, speaking on Sky Sports, thinks it is above par on a tricky pitch at the Gabba.

England 179-6 (20 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

09:34 , Lawrence Ostlere

Stokes tries to hammer Ferguson off the final over but can’t find the meat of his bat. It’s left to Sam Curran, who hits a six which is dropped on the rope – an almost impossible catch. Then a no-ball which Ferguson lets slip out of his hand and almost knocks Curran’s head off, England run a single and that’s a free hit: Stokes grabs a couple off it. But he’s out on the penultimate ball, bowled, and Malan is in for the final delivery: he hits it to the leg-side and a fumble allows England to run three. Good running, but will 180 be enough?

England 163-5 (19 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

09:27 , Lawrence Ostlere

England have been slowed down considerably here. Correction: Sam Curran is in, not Malan.

Wicket! Buttler ro Williamson 73, England 162-5 (18.4 overs)

09:25 , Lawrence Ostlere

Stokes cracks straight at Williamson at cover, who throws to Southee and Buttler can’t get back to the non-striker’s end quick enough, he’s gone. In comes Dawid Malan.

Wicket! Brook b Southee c Allen 7, England 160-4 (19.2 overs)

09:22 , Lawrence Ostlere

Brook batters Southee’s first delivery for six through the leg-side, but he’s gone with the very next ball, caught in the deep. Stokes in next.

England 154-3 (18 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

09:20 , Lawrence Ostlere

An excellent over by Ferguson, picking up a wicket for only six runs. Harry Brook is in now for England. Malan and Stokes still to come...

Wicket! Livingstone b Ferguson 20, England 153-3 (18.3 overs)

09:18 , Lawrence Ostlere

Livingstone scoops Ferguson for four but on the very next ball he fails trying the same trick, and he’s bowled.

England 148-2 (17 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

09:15 , Lawrence Ostlere

Boult again, who almost runs out Livingstone but the batter just makes his ground. With the next ball Buttler clobbers back over Boult’s head for six, almost a baseball shot. He’s shown a bit of everything today, the England captain. Boult responds well with a cutter which Buttler misses. Dots are so valuable right now. Buttler follows that with a single down the ground to bring Livingstone on strike for the final ball: he mis-hits one out to the off-side for two. A reminder that England still have Malan, Stokes and Brook to come. They can afford to go wild in these final three overs.

England 137-2 (16 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

09:10 , Lawrence Ostlere

Tim Southee keeps a nice tight line to prevent Livingstone and Buttler from hitting out, four four balls at least. Then Livingstone gets out his sledgehammer and blasts one into the stands on the leg-side, a huge six. He gets away with a sliced, toey shot on the final ball which lands safely and they run two more.

England 125-2 (15 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

09:06 , Lawrence Ostlere

Trent Boult is back into the attack but Buttler is unperturbed, pushing a couple to the off-side for two before a crushed boundary straight back down the ground, a stunning hit. He follows that with a cleverly placed four down to the deep square leg boundary, and Boult offers up a wide to add to England’s tally. A single brings Livingstone on strike, who immediately goes for broke and almost picks out a fielder – it just falls safely into a gap. Runs off every ball there for England, totalling 15.

England 110-2 (14 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

09:02 , Lawrence Ostlere

Jos Buttler brings up his half-century with a scrabbly single which New Zealand misfield. He and Liam Livingstone are now at the crease, and this run-rate is about to increase, you suspect.

Wicket! Moeen b Boult b Sodhi 5, England 108-2 (13.1 overs)

08:59 , Lawrence Ostlere

Moeen Ali doesn’t quite catch a Sodhi delivery and Trent Boult is there on the boundary. He fumbles, but holds on, and finally New Zealand take a catch.

England 108-1 (13 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:57 , Lawrence Ostlere

Buttler swings and misses the first ball of Ferguson’s latest over, but makes no mistake with the second as he leans back and claps one over mid-off for four. Then a huge mistake by the usually reliable Daryl Mitchell! He almost runs past the catch on the boundary and drops what is really a simple one – the replay shows the ball was bending in the air but it’s a big misjudgment from the fielder. Buttler takes advantage with a drilled boundary straight down the ground, then almost casts his bat high to his right to dig out yet another boundary. A costly over for New Zealand in more than just runs.

England 94-1 (12 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:53 , Lawrence Ostlere

Sodhi back in, and Buttler brings out the reverse sweep, with a rampy quality to it, flying fine down to the boundary. A single follows to bring Moeen on strike who places one to the off-side for two, before being sent back by his captain on the final delivery of the over trying to pinch another single.

England 85-1 (11 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:49 , Lawrence Ostlere

Moeen and Buttler can only pick off a few singles from the rest of Santner’s over. This innings is nicely poised after that breakthrough.

Wicket! Hales 52, England 81-1 (10.2 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:47 , Lawrence Ostlere

Hales hits the first ball of the over for four to bring up his half-century, but he’s gone with the very next one as Santner evades his bat and sets up a stumping. In comes Moeen Ali.

England 77-0 (10 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:46 , Lawrence Ostlere

Jos Buttler is going through the catalogue today reverse sweeps Ish Sodhi to the boundary, and a flurry of singles follow. Buttler is enjoying himself since that reprieve.

England 67-0 (9 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:39 , Lawrence Ostlere

It looks like Moeen Ali is preparing to move up the order and come in at three; England want to offer some protection for Malan, Stokes, Brook and Livingstone, so that their ferocious middle order has the license later in the innings to tee off. Meanwhile out in the middle, Santner tests Hales with some tight spin bowling, and England’s batters have to scurry between the wickets for their six runs.

England 61-0 (8 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:35 , Lawrence Ostlere

Ish Sodhi now into the attack for his first over – Wiliamson is keen to get his spinners through their overs while there are two right-handers at the crease, with some lefties to come in the England order. It’s a very good over, slowing down England’s steady progress with only three off it.

England 58-0 (7 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:32 , Lawrence Ostlere

Lockie Ferguson comes into the attack and after a couple of singles, Jos Buttler brings out the ramp which goes all the way to the boundary behind him for six. Another single, and England take nine from the over.

England 49-0 (6 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:29 , Lawrence Ostlere

Buttler chips the first ball of the over to cover where Kane Williamson gratefully accepts the catch running back towards the boundary. But it’s checked, and the replay shows the ball bounced as the Kiwi captain slid across the grass before he finally held on to it. Buttler walks away and is then invited back to the crease, and Williamson sheepishly apologises for claiming that as a legitimate catch. Perhaps he didn’t quite realise what happened as he was sliding. Either way, a poor miss and a big let-off for England’s captain.

England 44-0 (5 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:23 , Lawrence Ostlere

Alex Hales batters the first ball of Southee’s second over for four over long-on. There’s a battle on here, as Southee offers a slower ball which Hales misses entirely, but with the very next ball the batter steps away from his stumps and gives himself room to crack over covers for four more – and again with the next ball! Phenomenal from Hales and now Southee has to think hard about the final two deliveries: the first is hit straight to point for a dot, and the final delivery is knocked for a single.

England 25-0 (4 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:18 , Lawrence Ostlere

Mitchell Santner comes into the attack and, after a Buttler single, brings up three dots with a tight line. Hales has a swing at the fifth ball and inside edges on to his pads before running a single. Buttler pinches two off the last with a little prod to a gap in the leg-side.

England 21-0 (3 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:15 , Lawrence Ostlere

Trent Boult with a fierce over of swing bowling. Buttler pinches a single from the third ball before Hales nervily avoids a couple of threatening deliveries which hoop in different directions. It looks like being a momentum killer of an over until Hales bunts the final ball high down the ground for four.

England 16-0 (2 overs); New Zealand yet to bat

08:11 , Lawrence Ostlere

Tim Southee bowls a loose one first up which Hales pushes away for a couple, before whipping one to the leg-side boundary for four a couple of balls later. A good start for England.

England 9-0 (1 over); New Zealand yet to bat

08:06 , Lawrence Ostlere

Trent Boult immediately gets the ball swinging to England captain Jos Buttler, but Buttler gets his bat on the second delivery for three. Alex Hales survives the rest of the over, and survives is the word, with a slash towards the off-side which comes off his inside edge and narrowly misses his stumps, running for four. Hales then pushes one through cover for two, and England are up and running, just about.

England vs New Zealand

08:03 , Lawrence Ostlere

Trent Boult has ball in hand, here we go...

England vs New Zealand

08:03 , Lawrence Ostlere

An unchanged England have elected to bat first in this crunch T20 World Cup clash against New Zealand at Brisbane.

England have gone with the same XI that suffered a shock defeat against Ireland but while they are a team who typically prefer to chase, playing on a used Gabba pitch has prompted a change in strategy.

New Zealand can guarantee semi-final qualification with a win and they named the same XI that beat Sri Lanka last time out.

England know a loss at a ground where they have historically struggled - they have won just two Ashes Tests here since the end of the Second World War - would all but end their hopes of a top-two finish in their Super 12s group.

England vs New Zealand

07:58 , Lawrence Ostlere

Play moments away at a packed Gabba! Here come the anthems.

England: Jos Buttler (c & wk), Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.

England vs New Zealand

07:52 , Lawrence Ostlere

et run-rate will be the deciding factor if more than two teams finish on the same number of points, which could be the case in Group 1. In the final group fixtures New Zealand face Ireland, Australia take on Afghanistan and England play Sri Lanka. Should England win today there will be three teams level on five points meaning the two qualifiers will be decided by the final matches and, most probably, net run-rate. Yet that is a problem for the future as England will be focused on winning today’s encounter first and foremost.

England vs New Zealand

07:48 , Lawrence Ostlere

Australia’s 42 run victory over Ireland yesterday means that England are two points adrift of the qualifying spots but will move ahead of the hosts if they sweep the Kiwis aside this morning. Kane Williamson’s side do not have the greatest track record against England – who can forget the 2019 Cricket World Cup final? – but they are unbeaten so far and have accumulated a significant net run-rate.

07:46 , Lawrence Ostlere

England have a difficult task ahead of them if they want to reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. The defeat to Ireland and a washout against Australia means Jos Buttler’s side have no margin for error as they take on New Zealand in Brisbane.