New Zealand in T20 World Cup semi-finals after victory over Ireland
New Zealand became the first team to enter the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup following a 35-run win over Ireland here on Friday, fueled by spinners’ scintillating performance after returning form Kane Williamson’s 35-ball 61. New Zealand were once looking to cross 200 runs but pacer Joshua Little took a hat-trick to restrict them to 185 for six. In reply, Ireland’s team could score only 150 runs for nine wickets. New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi took 26 wickets and Mitchell Santner took two wickets for 29 runs.
Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson took three wickets. New Zealand’s qualification in the knockout stage was confirmed after the match between Australia and Afghanistan in which the defending champions could manage just 168 for eight. Whereas they needed to register a win by a margin of 185 runs to beat New Zealand in net run rate. Ireland could not make it to the semi-finals but defeated strong teams like West Indies and England. For that, Paul Stirling scored 37 runs in 27 balls and captain Andrew Balbirnie scored 30 runs in 25 balls.
The duo shared a 49-ball 68-run partnership for the first wicket, but Ireland’s defeat was decided after both of them fell within six balls. Earlier, Ireland fast bowler Little made a memorable hat-trick to restrict New Zealand to 185 for six. Captain Williamson batted at a strike rate of over a hundred for the first time in the tournament for New Zealand. He hit five fours and three sixes in his innings.
Opener Finn Allen made 32 off 18 balls, Glenn Phillips scored 17 off nine balls and Daryl Mitchell scored an unbeaten 31 off 21 balls. Left-arm pacer Little curbed New Zealand’s run-rate in the death overs. In the 19th over, he took the wickets of Williamson, Jimmy Neesham and Mitchell Santner for three consecutive balls. Williamson was caught in the deep trying to play a big shot while Neesham and Santner were dismissed leg before.
This was the second hat-trick of this World Cup after Karthik Meiyappan of the United Arab Emirates. Karthik did this feat against Sri Lanka. The biggest highlight of New Zealand’s innings was Williamson’s return to form. After struggling in the beginning, he played freely. He completed his half-century by hitting fast bowler Barry McCarthy for a six at deep midwicket. Two balls later, he hit another six at the same spot. He was caught trying to play a similar shot again in the 19th over. Ireland conceded only 12 runs in the last two overs.
