AUSTRALIA’S path to the T20 World Cup semi-finals is now hanging by a thread after England held off New Zealand by 20 runs in an enthralling contest at the Gabba.

Glenn Phillips again threatened to single-handedly haul New Zealand to their total and help keep Australia’s destiny in their own hands with a brilliant 62 from 36 balls but England’s bowlers held their nerve late.

The reigning world champions now sit third in Group 1 and will need a thumping win over Afghanistan in their final Super 12 group stage match in Adelaide on Friday to boost their net-run-rate (NRR) with the three sides locked on the same number of points.But Australia’s inferior NRR of -0.304 compared to England (+0.547) and New Zealand (+2.233) means the World Cup hosts are effectively relying on those sides losing their final matches against Sri Lanka and Ireland respectively.

New Zealand didn’t do themselves any favours, dropping England captain Jos Buttler twice in his 100th T20 international on his way to a game-high score of 73 from 47 balls.

Opening partner Alex Hales did the early pace setting after Buttler won the toss and elected to bat first, smashing veteran Tim Southee for 15 from the fifth over of the innings as England scored 48 runs without loss in the Powerplay.

Hales brought up his first half-century of the tournament with four off Mitchell Santner just after the halfway mark of the innings but was out the next ball for 52 (40) as he ran past a delivery attempting a heave into the leg side and was out stumped.

Buttler, who was earlier dropped by Kane Williamson off Santner (1-25) with replays confirming the ball had hit the ground after bobbling from the Black Caps skipper’s hands, was put down again in the 13th over as Daryl Mitchell grassed a sharp chance on the deep square-leg boundary.

Buttler immediately made the Kiwis pay by smashing back-to-back fours to finish the Lockie Ferguson (2-45) over as 14 came from it
Moeen Ali’s promotion to No.3 didn’t pay off as he was out for five, but his skipper kept England’s momentum going with consecutive boundaries and a six off the dangerous Trent Boult as the New Zealand left-armer conceded 40 from his four overs.

Liam Livingstone chipped in with a quick-fire 20 as Harry Brook and Sam Curran both hit sixes at the death to push England’s total to 179-6 from their 20 overs.

New Zealand’s chase started poorly as a classic grab from Buttler down the leg side removed Devon Conway in the second over while the dangerous Finn Allen (16) picked out Ben Stokes in the deep.

Phillips, fresh off a rapid century against Sri Lanka in Sydney on Saturday, was then dropped on 15 as Moeen spilled a soda from the blade of the right-hander at point as he attempted to whack Adil Rashid over his head.

It was the moment that seemed to free Phillips up as he went ballistic, launching a 152kph thunderbolt from Mark Wood casually over long on for a huge six on his way to a 25-ball fifty.

He rubbed salt into the wound by smashing Rashid for back-to-back sixes in 14th over as he went past Virat Kohli to the top of the run-scorers list in the World Cup’s Super 12 stage.

Stokes got the crucial breakthrough for England with Williamson’s supporting act coming to an end on 40 off 40 balls, ending a 91-run third-wicket partnership between him and Phillips

Needing more than 13 runs an over for the last four, the wickets kept tumbling at the other end and when Phillips picked out substitute fielder Chris Jordan at long-on off Sam Curran (2-26) with 15 balls remaining, the game was effectively over and with it perhaps Australia’s hopes of defending their World Cup crown.

Chris Woakes (2-33) and Curran closed out the match with 40 needed from the final two overs with New Zealand falling 21 runs short on 6-159. (Cricket.com.au)