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New Zealand came up with a clinical performance to get the better of Ireland by 35 runs in the T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 match at the Adelaide Oval on Friday, November 4. Following the win, the Kiwis have more or less sealed their spot in the semi-finals. It will take something extraordinary for England or Australia to knock New Zealand out of the top two in Group 1.
Sent in to bat first after losing the toss, New Zealand put up a challenging total of 185/6. Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson repaid the faith placed in him by the team management, top-scoring with an authoritative 61 off 35 balls. It was exactly the kind of innings Williamson needed to silence doubters.
Chasing 186, Ireland got off to a terrific start as their openers added 68 in eight overs. However, Lockie Ferguson (3/22), Mitchell Santner (2/26), and Ish Sodhi (2/31) combined to derail Ireland’s innings. The chasing side finished on 150/9 in their 20 overs.
Things looked a lot brighter for Ireland at the start. In the first over, Irish skipper Andrew Balbirnie swung a six off Trent Boult over deep square leg. The powerplay was relatively quiet for Ireland as they finished on 39/0. Paul Stirling opened up in the seventh over, whacking Santner for four and six off consecutive deliveries. In the next over, Balbirnie took on Sodhi and lofted him over the ropes twice.
The threatening opening stand was broken when Balbirnie (30) bottom-edged a delivery from Santner back onto his stumps. New Zealand took control of proceedings after the Ireland captain’s exit. Stirling (37) soon perished to Sodhi, bowled by a slow googly as he was too early into his slog sweep.
Santner had his second when Harry Tector (two) sliced his attempted loft over cover to point. After an unconvincing start, New Zealand’s bowlers realized that not offering Ireland pace was the way to go and they reaped the benefits of it. Gareth Delany (10) was also done in by a slower leg-cutter from Ferguson, which he could only edge to the keeper.
Having got off to an impressive start, Ireland were five down for 102 when Lorcan Tucker (13) ran down the track and lofted Sodhi to long-off. The wickets kept falling as Curtis Campher (seven) miscued Tim Southee to mid-off, after which Ferguson sent back Fionn Hand (five) and George Dockrell (23) in one over. Southee added the scalp of Mark Adair (four) as Ireland’s chase, which began with a bang, ended in a whimper.
Williamson’s brisk half-century guides New Zealand to 185/6
Williamson returned to form with a timely 61 off 35 balls as New Zealand put up 185/6 after being asked to bat by Ireland. Joshua Little did claim a memorable hat-trick for the bowling side, but it came towards the end of the innings when New Zealand had already crossed 170.
After a quiet start, Finn Allen smacked Delany for three fours in the fourth over to give the Kiwi innings some momentum. The aggressive opener then took on Adair in the last over of the powerplay and clubbed him for six and four off consecutive deliveries. Allen, however, perished in the same over for 32 off 18. Looking for another big hit, he swung one straight to mid-off.
With Devon Conway failing to accelerate, Williamson decided to take charge. In the 11th over, he launched Hand over mid-off for four and pulled the next ball over deep square leg for a maximum. Conway’s (28 off 33) struggles ended when he lofted Delany to long-on. It wasn’t a bad result for New Zealand as the in-form Glenn Phillips came in and swept the leggie for a six over deep midwicket.
Two more boundaries followed in the next over from Barry McCarthy before Phillips’ adrenaline rush got the better of him for 17 off nine balls. The right-handed batter smacked a tossed-up delivery from Delany to the fielder positioned at deep cover. Williamson and Daryl Mitchell (31* off 21) added 60 runs for the fourth wicket in quick time as the Kiwis got the desired acceleration.
The New Zealand captain brought up his fifty in commanding fashion, whipping McCarthy for a maximum over deep midwicket. The next two deliveries were also carted for a four and six, respectively. Williamson’s fine knock came to an end in the penultimate over when he pulled a short ball from Little towards deep backward square leg.
James Neesham (0) and Mitchell Santner (0) missed well-directed length deliveries and were trapped in front of the stumps off consecutive deliveries. Little thus became the second Irish bowler to claim a hat-trick in the T20 World Cup. Curtis Campher claimed one against the Netherlands in Abu Dhabi last year.
Despite the loss, Ireland could walk away with their heads held high as they registered wins over Scotland, West Indies and England over the course of their campaign.
