On Wednesday, the New Zealand team performed a great heist to win the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2021. After a not-so-good outing with the ball in hand, the Kiwi batters put up a great show to chase down a total of 167 in just 19 overs. The whole cricketing world recognized this, and praises from all around started pouring in.
Best game of the World Cup. Wow Daryll Mitchell. Jimmy Neesham the gamechanger. New Zealand simply sensational. Congratulations on reaching the finals NZ #ENGvsNZ
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) November 10, 2021
It was Sehwag’s comment, however, which aptly sums up the match. The former Indian opener shared a tweet in which he called the match the “Best game of the World Cup.” It was one of those games that maintained the suspense until Mitchell scored the last run of the game. Chasing a score of 167, New Zealand lost some early wickets in the form of Guptill and captain Williamson. It tilted the balance of the game in England’s favor. But then Conway and Mitchell steadied the ship and took the Kiwi team as close to the target as they could. The match turned dramatically in the 17th over of the game, in which Chris Jordan was smoked for 23 runs. Then Adil Rashid picked up Neesham’s wicket in the very next over to bring a hit a twist in the tale. However, Daryl Mitchell ensured that there was no plot twist towards the end, and he finished the game with an over to spare.
In the process of winning the game for his team, Mitchell also scored a superb knock of 72 runs in just 47 balls. It consisted of 4 fours and as many sixes—his clean hitting towards the rear end of the inning that cruised New Zealand over the finishing line.