T20 World Cup 2021: "Not an experiment in terms of his character" - Kane Williamson on Daryl Mitchell
Kane Williamson and his men find themselves in another final on Sunday after beating England by five wickets in another thrilling contest in Abu Dhabi.
Daryl Mitchell led the run chase to take the Kiwis over the line in a game where they were behind for the most part. The 30-year-old all-rounder remained unbeaten on 72 runs. With good support from Devon Conway and Jimmy Neesham, he took the Black Caps to another ICC final in a space of just four months.
2019 World Cup: Runners-up
2021 WTC Final: Winners
2021 T20 World Cup: ?
New Zealand have now reached 3️⃣ consecutive finals of ICC tournaments 🇳🇿💥
#NewZealand #NZ #T20WorldCup https://t.co/hq3Hy0U253
Mitchell's promotion at the top has paid rich dividends and captain Kane Williamson has asserted that it was all part of the plan. Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, the Kiwi captain said:
"Not an experiment in terms of his character but that's something that stood out today and pretty much every game he has played. He brings real quality there and he stood up under pressure. Outstanding knock from Daryl Mitchell but just staying in there and playing small matchups was a great effort."
England's hope were dented heading into this clash with Tymal Mills and Jason Roy ruled out of the competition. Eoin Morgan & Co missed both of them as they struggled to get off the blocks against the new ball. They also lacked quality at the death overs.
All-rounder Jimmy Neesham took 23 runs from Chris Jordan's 17th over to change the momentum of the game. Although Neesham holed out to Morgan in the next over, Daryl Mitchell batted until the end to take his team through.
"He changed the momentum of the game for us" - Kane Williamson on Jimmy Neesham
Jimmy Neesham literally turned that game upside down; with that over off poor Jordan. Now it’s down to Pakistan or Australia to see who’ll face these antipodean champs. It’s going to be one heck of a final that’s for sure. #T20WorldCup
New Zealand struggled to be at par with the asking rate after losing wickets at regular intervals. The Kiwis needed a big over, with still 57 required off the final four overs.
It was then that Jimmy Neesham produced one of the most impactful innings of his career. He scored 23 runs, including two sixes and a boundary, to bring the equation down to 33 off the last 18 balls. The southpaw continued the onslaught and struck Adil Rashid for a massive six before Daryl Mitchell produced a towering hit.
Kane Williamson highlighted the importance of Jimmy Neesham in this Black Caps side.
"We've seen it all tournament - depending on the surface and what is the short side, the chances come and Jimmy maximized it. We did have wickets in hand and that made the difference. He (Neesham) came out and hit the ball hard. That's what he does and it was a really, really valuable knock.
'He changed the momentum of the game for us. It was a game of really small pieces and you are always trying to win those small moments," the 31-year-old Kane Williamson added.
It was then a cake walk for New Zealand, who chased down the score with an over to spare. Kane Williamson & co are just one step away from adding another piece of silverware to their trophy cabinet.
Australia will clash with Pakistan on Thursday to decide which team will face Kane Williamson's side in the final on Sunday.