NZ were lucky to ace 'game of inches', says Mitchell

New Zealand opener Daryl Mitchell said they needed generous help from Lady Luck to prevail against England in the semi-final of the Twenty20 World Cup on Wednesday.

Chasing a tricky 167 on a track where England's star-studded lineup struggled to fire, New Zealand had their own difficulties with the bat that left them needing 57 runs from the last four overs.

Jimmy Neesham then exploded with the bat, belting an 11-ball 27 and Mitchell, who remained not out after a 47-ball 72, guided New Zealand home.

Mitchell in action. Photo: Reuters

They hit a combined seven sixes, including two occasions when Chris Jordan and Jonny Bairstow caught the ball near the rope but just could not check their momentum.

"Look, we were obviously very lucky at times," Mitchell, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for his stellar innings, told reporters.

Mitchell reacts following the winning shot. Photo: Twitter

"A couple sailed over the ropes that could have been a metre shorter and we're all out.

"But at the same time we always knew that as long as we kept sort of just within the certain numbers that we felt comfortable with that we were always in with a chance."

It took a special cameo from Neesham to win the match but Mitchell said New Zealand were always in the contest.

"It probably sounds weird, but it never felt like it was out of our grasp," the 30-year-old said.

"I think especially with that smaller side boundary on one side, we knew that there were going to be matchups there that might suit us towards the end."

The late drama was a reminder of the heart-stopping final of the 2019 ODI World Cup between the teams where England were crowned the 50-overs champions due to a now-scrapped boundary countback rule.

"It's a bit of a blur, but I can imagine it was a hell of a game to watch, and I think the way England played was very special," Mitchell said.

"It's obviously pretty cool to get the job done, but I know it's a game of inches."

In Sunday's final, New Zealand, the reigning world test champions, will meet the winners of Thursday's second semi-final between Pakistan and Australia.