“It’s Out of Our Control”: Mitchell Santner Laments New Zealand’s Defeat, Awaits Semi-Final Fate

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner admitted his side will be “pretty nervous” as they wait to learn their semi-final fate following a heartbreaking last-over defeat to England. The result has left New Zealand’s progression hinging on the outcome of Pakistan’s clash with Sri Lanka in Pallekele.

A Sri Lanka victory would secure New Zealand’s place in the semi-finals and book their trip to Kolkata. However, Pakistan still have a mathematical chance to overtake them, provided they defeat Sri Lanka and significantly improve their net run rate.

Late Collapse Costs New Zealand

Speaking after the loss, Santner acknowledged the disappointment of failing to seal qualification on their own terms.

“There’ll be some nerves watching tomorrow, just to see what happens,” he said. “But it’s out of our control. We can’t really do much. We’re just going to wait and see, and either get on a plane to India or New Zealand. We would have made things a lot easier if we won tonight.”

New Zealand appeared to have one foot in the semi-finals when England required 43 runs from the final 18 deliveries. However, momentum shifted dramatically in the 18th over, bowled by Glenn Phillips. England’s Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed took 21 runs off the over, turning the game on its head.

“We had it in our control,” Santner reflected. “We did a lot of good stuff throughout the game, but it’s always those little moments — whether it’s execution or something in the field — that make the difference. Credit to England for setting up that chase like they did.”

Tactical Battle in the Death Overs

Santner highlighted England’s superior shot selection in the closing stages. According to the New Zealand skipper, the English batters made smarter decisions in targeting the straight boundaries, while New Zealand’s batters opted for riskier square shots during their own innings.

“The way they attacked the last overs of our spinners was because they took very good options,” Santner explained. “In a tight game like that, it can come down to a few runs, stopping a two, or a catching opportunity.”

The bowling plan had been for Santner and fellow left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra to operate from the Maligawatta End, where the shorter leg-side boundary presented a tactical challenge against England’s right-handers. However, the decisive 18th over proved costly.

“It was always going to be that one over,” Santner said. “It was tough for Glenn. Jacks has shown he’s a good finisher. I know he hasn’t done it for a long time, but he’s pretty good at it.”

Batting Falters After Strong Start

New Zealand’s problems began earlier, during the final phase of their batting innings. After reaching 123 for 3 at the 14-over mark, they managed just 36 runs from the last six overs, falling short of what Santner believed was a defendable total.

“We set up a pretty good platform and at the second time-out we decided to push for 180 instead of settling for 160,” he said.

The performance echoed their previous outing against Sri Lanka, where middle-order struggles were offset by a late surge. This time, England’s disciplined five-pronged spin attack prevented a similar recovery.

“In the game against Sri Lanka, we lost wickets in clumps through the middle but finished strongly,” Santner noted. “Today was the opposite. England made us take tougher options.”

England Peaking at the Right Time

Santner also acknowledged England’s growing confidence under captain Harry Brook, warning that they are dangerous opponents heading into the semi-finals.

“If you can get yourselves out of tricky positions and end up winning games, it does a lot for confidence,” he said. “There’s no better team to fight and find a way to win from than England. They’re hitting their straps at the right time.”

England’s unbeaten run in the Super Eight stage has propelled them into the knockouts with momentum. Santner admitted he would rather avoid facing them in the semi-finals.

“I wouldn’t want to be facing England if I was in the semis,” he said.

For now, New Zealand can only wait — their World Cup hopes resting not in their own hands, but on the outcome of Saturday’s contest in Pallekele.