Kane Williamson’s 35-ball 61 propelled New Zealand to 185-6 and their bowlers saved Ireland right down to 150-9 to prime Group 1 with seven factors after their closing Super 12 match in Adelaide.
New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson runs between the wickets in the course of the ICC males’s Twenty20 World Cup 2022 cricket match between England and New Zealand at The Gabba on 1 November 2022 in Brisbane. Picture: Patrick HAMILTON/AFP
ADELAIDE – Skipper Kane Williamson hit a quickfire half-century to all but take New Zealand into the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals as they hammered Ireland by 35 runs on Friday.
Williamson’s 35-ball 61 propelled New Zealand to 185-6 and their bowlers saved Ireland right down to 150-9 to prime Group 1 with seven factors after their closing Super 12 match in Adelaide.
Australia, who subsequent play Afghanistan on the similar venue, and England can go stage on factors with New Zealand in the event that they win, but the Black Caps have a far superior internet run fee.
Only a mathematical miracle can push final 12 months’s crushed finalists out of the final 4 now, leaving Australia and England to scrap it out.
“A really good team performance, which was required. We knew what Ireland were capable of, they have played some stunning cricket,” mentioned Williamson.
The captain led from the entrance, having didn’t convert begins within the earlier matches, as New Zealand dominated on a sunny afternoon regardless of a shocking hat-trick by Ireland quick bowler Joshua Little.
New Zealand have been cruising at 174-3 within the nineteenth over when the left-arm fast eliminated Williamson, James Neesham and Mitchell Santner on successive balls.
It was the second hat-trick of this version of the World Cup after Karthik Meiyappan of the United Arab Emirates towards Sri Lanka in spherical one.
Little’s strikes checked New Zealand’s surge, but Williamson, together with his first fifty of this event, had already put his crew heading in the right direction for a difficult complete.
Daryl Mitchell hit an unbeaten 21-ball 31 and placed on a key partnership of 60 with Williamson, who was beneath scrutiny for his sluggish batting but smashed 5 fours and three sixes in his 35-ball knock.
Finn Allen and Devon Conway began cautiously towards a disciplined Irish bowling assault after being invited to bat first.
Allen broke the shackles within the fourth over as he smashed leg-spinner Gareth Delany for 3 fours together with two on consecutive deliveries.
He saved up the cost and hit a six and 4 off quick bowler Mark Adair earlier than the bowler received him caught at mid-off on the subsequent ball because the Kiwis reached 52-1 on the finish of six overs.
The left-handed Conway discovered it robust to speed up regardless of a few boundaries but stood in a 44-run stand with Williamson.
New Zealand misplaced their approach within the center with Delany taking two wickets together with Glenn Phillips for 17, but Williamson quickly took cost.
IRISH PRIDE IN DEFEAT
Paul Stirling (37) and Andrew Balbirnie (30) received the Irish off to a flier of their opening partnership of 68 off 49 balls.
The giant-killing Irish crew had taken down two-time champions the West Indies in spherical one after which shocked England in a rain-hit Super 12 conflict.
But Balbirnie chopped one on to his stumps off Santner and fellow spinner Ish Sodhi bowled Stirling within the subsequent over to douse Ireland’s hopes as their chase fell aside.
Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson returned figures of 3-22 after a double strike in his fourth over. Santner, Sodhi and quick bowler Tim Southee took two wickets every.
“We bowled pretty well, but our fielding has been a bit off in the tournament,” mentioned Balbirnie.
“The guys have played really well. We have been happy with the effort,”
“We caused a couple of upsets, we are playing better cricket than we were in the last 12 months, everyone is starting to show their class.”