England vs New Zealand - (Source: X.com)
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, Its Glenn Phillips. The phrase made its way again on social media on Friday night after the New Zealand all-rounder took a sensational catch to dismiss Jacob Bethell. Phillips is known for his fielding skills and once again proved why he is rated as the best in business.
Notably, on Friday, February 27, New Zealand locked horns against England in a do-or-die game for the BlackCaps. The Kiwis, batting first, put 159 runs on the board. In reply, the Three Lions lost three early wickets.
Glenn Phillips Takes A Flying Catch
On the 4th ball of the 9th over, Jacob Bethell hit a flat shot towards the cow corner and was looking for a four. However, Phillips came out of nowhere and plucked an absolute stunner. The entire stadium was shocked to see the superhuman effort.
It was a low diving effort and above-all, Phillips was in motion and covered a lot of ground to come to the ball. It was a special effort because it brought New Zealand back into the hunt, given Bethell's successful campaign.
Talking about Jacob Bethell, he has scored 175 runs in seven innings, averaging 15. Therefore, it was a big wicket for the Kiwis.
Glenn Phillips's 19th over turns the game for England
Glenn Phillips is having a brilliant match for New Zealand as he performed across all formats. With the bat, Phillips scored 39 (28), which featured four fours. He was also the highest run-getter for his side in the team.
Phillips was also asked to roll his arms against England. The right-arm spinner bowled 3 overs and registered the figures of 1/22. However, when he returned for his last over, then he leaked 21 runs in an over, which is the joint-third most by a New Zealand bowler in T20 World Cup.
Most Runs Conceded by a New Zealand Bowler in an Over in T20 WCs:
- 27 – Glenn Phillips vs UAE, Chennai, 2026
- 22 – Ish Sodhi vs England, Delhi, 2016
- 21 – Michael Bracewell vs Afghanistan, Providence, 2024
- 21 – Glenn Phillips vs England, Colombo (RPS), Tonight*
- 21 – Tim Southee vs South Africa, Bridgetown, 2010
New Zealand's Qualification Still Hangs By A Thread
Courtesy of Phillips' costly over, New Zealand suffered a defeat as England chased down the total in the 20th over. Now, the Kiwis will have to pray that Sri Lanka beat Pakistan on Saturday, February 28.
Notably, Pakistan have an interesting scenario at the moment as they need to win by a margin of 65 runs or chase down the total in 13 overs to stun New Zealand and qualify for the semi-finals.
In the other group, South Africa have qualified for the semis while India and West Indies will lock horns on March 1 and the winner will advance to the last four.
Also Read: Jos Buttler Leads The Unfortunate List! Becomes Englishman With Most T20I Ducks
