Eoin Morgan pledges to return for another T20 World Cup tilt after defending England's semi-final blip

NICK HOWSON: New Zealand hit 57 in three overs to cap an unlikely run-chase to secure a berth in Sunday's final but the captain has refused to blame his team

Eoin Morgan is determined to be part of England's next men's T20 World Cup campaign in 2022 after missing out on the final in the United Arab Emirates after defeat to New Zealand.

The 2010 winners looked set to reach their third final after restricting the Kiwis, chasing 167, to 107 for 4 in the 16th over.

But Daryl Mitchell (72*) and Jimmy Neesham (27) had other ideas and plundered a 17-ball stand for 40 to turn the match on its head.

Though Neesham was eventually dismissed, Mitchell was unperturbed and hit two sixes and a four off the 19th over from Chris Woakes to secure victory with six balls to spare.

Thirty-five-year-old Morgan has been coy over his future as he seeks to complete the white-ball double, having led England to the 50-over crown in 2019.

"I hope so," he responded when asked if he would still be around for the 2022 event in Australia next year. "I am still offering enough within the side. I love playing cricket at the moment for the changing room. 

"The guys give absolutely everything, they're always looking to get better, they are at the forefront of change both on and off the field. 

"We have a lot of things to be proud about not just on the field so I am incredibly proud to be their leader."

^{It was Kane Williamson's turn to get the better of Eoin Morgan}

Though unwilling to openly blame individuals for the defeat, Morgan did isolate overs 17 and 18 as key to New Zealand securing passage to Sunday's final in Dubai (November 14), where they will face either Pakistan or Australia.

Chris Jordan's eight deliveries ended up going for 23, while Adil Rashid conceded 14 to leave the Black Caps needed only 20 from the final two.

In a familiar outcome to the 2016 final against West Indies in Kolkata when Carlos Brathwaite cracked four sixes in the final over, England missed their lengths and were victims of some breathless hitting.

"I can't fault anything that we've done tonight," added Morgan. "We've fought unbelievably hard throughout the tournament. I think we've represented ourselves really well. 

"Tonight we've continued to do the same thing but we've come up short. That can happen in cricket. But I am extremely proud of the guys for what they've given in this tournament.

I thought we were right in the game right up until the 17th, 18th over. They built right up until they had to push the button and they came good and their game plan came off. 

"I thought we held them at bay and felt we had them exactly where we wanted them up until that point. If you can do that you give yourself the best chance of winning but unfortunately we didn't.

^{Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes were punished at the death}

It was a failure to hit yorker length and disguise slower balls that was eventually England's downfall, as New Zealand dispatched anything in the slot.

Head coach Chris Silverwood refused to throw any of his players under the bus but suggested that plans could have been altered as a response.

"Potentially there is," he told Sky Sports when asked about the possibility of changing tact. "We see when people have tried to do that to us that we've gone after the opposition as well. You keep that in mind, look at what the opposition are doing. 

"We watched them and the IPL in these conditions and thought they were the best plans for us and the majority of the time people are going to play well.

We've got to keep working at it (death bowling). The boys work incredibly hard in practice on the yorkers, slower balls, everything and it is about executing at the right time. 

"With more experience under their belt, there is more chance of them doing that as well so there is a lot more hard work in front of us but still a lot of positives to take from this."

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