New Zealand beat England in a thriller in the ICC men’s T20 World Cup semifinal at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. As the Kane Williamson-led team recorded a 5-wicket victory, they entered their maiden T20 World Cup final.

It was a Daryll Mitchell blitzkrieg in the death overs that helped New Zealand overhaul the target in a tricky tie.

“Most players have played together in various tournaments. Knew it was going to be a great game of cricket. Thought they had a pretty competitive total. But just by staying in there, building the partnerships and cashing in on some moments, some matchups,” New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said.

Talking about Mitchell’s performance, Williamson said: “Definitely something that stood out today (Mitchell’s character). Has batted beautifully in a high pressure situation. T20 cricket – it’s a game of small margins,” the right-handed batter added.

“Depending on the surface, the short side – these things can be match-defining. He came out and hit the ball hard, that’s what he does (Jimmy Neesham). Changed the momentum really. Fantastic knock from Daryll, hit the big shots when it counted. We’ll be following that match – going to be fantastic” the New Zealand captain said.

Now, New Zealand will meet the winner of the Australia vs Pakistan match.

Daryll Mitchell was adjudged the man of the match for his unbeaten knock of 72*(47).

“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,” Mitchell said.

“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 half way around the world to watch me play, so this is a proud moment,” the right-handed batter added.