Kiwis thrash England to reach top four

New Zealand defeated England by four wickets in their crucial last Group B match to enter the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy in style at the New Wanderers here on Tuesday.

New Zealand not only won, in what can be regarded as a must-win match for them, but also ensured that they top their group and throw Sri Lanka out of the tournament. With two wins out of three games, England also progressed to the last four stage from Group B.

Brendon McCullum (40 off 39 balls) and Martin Guptil (53 off 58) starred with the bat to seal the match for New Zealand with 22.5 overs to spare after Grant Elliot (4 for 31) and Shane Bond (3 for 21) ran havoc in overcast conditions to skittle out England for a paltry 146 in 43.1 overs.

cricket news, ICC Champions Trophy,