Black Caps star Matt Henry headed home with a possible World Cup return up in the air
Sunday, 1 March 2026
Matt Henry left Sri Lanka on Saturday (NZ time), unsure if he’d return to the T20 World Cup.
The Black Caps pace bowler began his journey to Christchurch after the side’s four-wicket defeat by England in Colombo, which left their potential place in the semifinals up in the air.
Henry was on his way home to be at the birth of his second child with wife Holly, with the possibility he could return for the knockout matches.
To reach the semifinals - and a likely encounter against South Africa in Kolkata, India, on Thursday morning (NZ time) - New Zealand needed Cup co-hosts Sri Lanka to defeat Pakistan, or not lose heavily.
The maths boffins had worked out shortly after Mitchell Santner’s men blew their chance of safely securing a semis spot that Pakistan would have needed to beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs or successfully chase in 13.1 overs in Pallekele overnight to send the Black Caps packing on Net Run-Rate.
England’s win saw them top Group Two of the Super Eights with the perfect record, and they will probably play the second semifinal on Friday morning (NZ time); most likely against the winner of Group One’s final match between initial tournament favourites India and the West Indies.
Head coach Rob Walter was fully supportive of Henry’s departure.
“Firstly, we’re all very excited for Matt and Holly on the arrival of their second child. It’s a very significant moment for their family and we’re wishing them all the best,' Walter said prior to the loss to England.
“There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge but we’re hopeful that the stars align for the team and for Matt and that we’ll see him back competing in the final phases of the competition.'
Fellow quick bowler Lockie Ferguson earlier went home from the tournament and missed NZ’s final Group D game against Canada for the birth of son Beau, the first child for him and wife Emma.
Ferguson returned to play in all of NZ’s games in the Super Eights.
In the early stages of both innings on Saturday morning, it appeared the Black Caps would make their own way into the semifinals.
After a maiden over from Jofra Archer to Tim Seifert to open proceedings, New Zealand did well to reach the end of the Power Play at 54-0, but Seifert and Finn Allen fell in consecutive overs, and England’s slow bowlers picked up wickets consistently enough to deny momentum.
The Black Caps went 26 balls without a boundary from the start of the 14th over, and managed just three more before the innings ended - one which came from a misfield, while captain Mitchell Santner struck the final delivery for six.
As he did in the win over Sri Lanka, Henry struck in the first over with the ball, getting Phil Salt caught behind, and the all-pace approach paid major dividends in the next over when Ferguson had the desperately out-of-touch Jos Buttler nick one to Seifert to have England 2-2.
England needed 43 runs to win from the last three overs, but big hitting from the seventh-wicket pair of Will Jacks (32 not out from 18 balls) and Rehan Ahmed (19no from seven) got them home with three balls to spare.
Allrounder Glenn Phillips had an outstanding game - 39 from 28 balls, a stunning catch and 1-21 from three overs of off-spin - until Santner gave him the ball for the 18th over against two boundary-seeking right-hand batters.
Phillips gave up two sixes and two fours among 22 runs from six balls, and Jacks and Ahmed then plundered 16 from Santner in the penultimate over to set up their victory.
Legspinner Ish Sodhi was given just two overs (0-21) while Ferguson (1-14) also bowled just two overs and wasn’t used at the death.
‘I guess the toss-up was whether you bowl seam at some stage … you can always look at those things in hindsight,” Santner said at the post-game media conference.
“Pretty nervous - but it's out of our control, we can't really do much. Just wait and see whether we get on a plane to India or New Zealand.
“We had it in our control - it would have made things a lot easier had we won tonight.”
T20 World Cup, Colombo: New Zealand 159-7 (Glenn Phillips 39 from 28 balls, Tim Seifert 35 from 25; Will Jacks 2-23 from 4 overs, Adil Rashid 2-28 from 4, Rehan Ahmed 2-28 from 3) lost to England 161-6 in 19.3 overs (Tom Banton 33 from 24 balls, Jacks 32no from 18 balls; Rachin Ravindra 3-19 from 4) by four wickets