England skipper Eoin Morgan was full of praise for New Zealand after the Kiwis beat them in a thrilling first semi-final of the T20 World Cup on Wednesday to reach their maiden final, saying the Kane Williamson-led team “outplayed” them.

Led by an explosive counter-attack from James Neesham and Daryll Mitchell, the Blackcaps scripted a brilliant turnaround in the dying stages to chase down the highest target at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium. 

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“Full credit to Kane and his team, they outplayed us today, I can’t fault anything that we’ve done tonight, we’ve fought hard and represented ourselves well, but come up short tonight. Incredibly proud of the guys,” Morgan said in his post-match comments. 

Chasing an imposing 167-run target, New Zealand needed 60 runs from the final five overs, with Neesham (27 from 11) and Mitchell (72* from 47) firing the Kiwis to victory with five wickets and an over to spare. 

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“Hard to identify the key moments, they built up until they had to push the button, then came good. He held them at bay up to that point,” Morgan said. 

He also commended Neesham for his blitzkrieg of a knock that changed the momentum of the game. The all-rounder smashed 23 runs off Chris Jordan in the 17th over, that included two sixes and a four.   

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“It was a sluggish pitch and we struggled to hit sixes, a good indication it was two-paced. We posted a par score and felt in the game at the halfway side. To have the ability to hit sixes from ball one like [Neesham], full credit to him.”

Morgan also said he is hoping he gets to continue leading England. “I hope to be back, I am still offering enough, and I love playing in this changing room. Incredibly proud to be their leader.”