Santner's Spin Mastery Propels New Zealand to Semifinal Brinks

New Zealand's cricket team, under captain Mitchell Santner, secured a significant win against Sri Lanka, advancing towards the T20 World Cup semifinals. Santner's all-around performance, particularly his strategic batting and bowling alongside contributions from Cole McConchie, turned the tide for New Zealand despite early struggles.

After a middle-order collapse left the Kiwis reeling at 84/6, Santner's 47 off 26 balls, supported by McConchie's 31 not out, pushed their total to 168/7. The partnership plundered 70 crucial runs in the last four overs. New Zealand's bowlers then restricted Sri Lanka to 107/8, led by Rachin Ravindra's career-best 4/27.

Sri Lanka's captain Dasun Shanaka reluctantly conceded the turning point was the late innings assault by Santner and McConchie. With Sri Lanka now out of the tournament, they will play their final fixture against Pakistan, hoping for a redemption win.