Kane Williamson's New Zealand maintained their impressive run in the ongoing T20 World Cup as the Black Caps tumbled England by five wickets in the first semi-final on Wednesday evening.
Chasing a challenging 167, New Zealand got off to a worst possible start with opener Martin Guptill and skipper Kane Williamson returning cheaply in the dugout.
However, a steady 82-run partnership for the third wicket between Devan Conway and Daryl Mitchell got the chase back on track for the Kiwis. While Conway was dismissed on 46(38), Mitchell made sure he completed the task and took his side through to the finals.
Daryl Mitchell found great support from all-rounder James Neesham as the pair combined to add 40 runs in just 17 deliveries as New Zealand closed the run chase with one over to spare.
“It was a bit of a whirl at the end there. I couldn't remember what was going on, but I'm happy I got the job done. It was a challenging surface, with the new ball, and it was two-paced. The way Conway set the platform and Neesh hit a few out of the ground was amazing. We knew one or two good overs would do it, and we got the momentum back thanks to Neesham's hitting. With what's going on around the world right now, it's amazing that my old man travelled halfway around the world to watch me play, so this is a proud moment," said Daryl Mitchell after his match-winning effort.
{{/usCountry}}“It was a bit of a whirl at the end there. I couldn't remember what was going on, but I'm happy I got the job done. It was a challenging surface, with the new ball, and it was two-paced. The way Conway set the platform and Neesh hit a few out of the ground was amazing. We knew one or two good overs would do it, and we got the momentum back thanks to Neesham's hitting. With what's going on around the world right now, it's amazing that my old man travelled halfway around the world to watch me play, so this is a proud moment," said Daryl Mitchell after his match-winning effort.
{{/usCountry}}Daryl Mitchell finished the contest unbeaten on 72(47) deliveries, while Neesham hit 27 from 11 balls as New Zealand qualified for their maiden final in T20I World Cup.