New Zealand Qualify for Semi-Finals
New Zealand became the first country to book a semi-final spot after beating Ireland by 33-runs. Captain Kane Williamson stormed back to form and hit 61-runs and with the support of Finn Allen (32-runs), Devon Conway (28-runs) and Daryl Mitchell (31-runs), the Blackcaps registered a total of score of 185/6.
Ireland, on the other hand started strong with Stirling and Balbirnie combining for 67-runs but New Zealand bowlers put an end to any chance of an upset by taking wickets at crucial points of the game.
The one bright spark for Ireland was Josh Little. He became the 6th player in T20 World Cup history to score a hattrick. Little took out Williamson, Jimmy Neesham and Mitchell Santer to become the 2nd Irish player to register a hattrick joining compatriot Curtis Campher on this elite list.
With this win, New Zealand have confirmed their qualification for the semi-finals but await the England vs Sri Lanka game to determine if they win the group or finish 2nd. Ireland on the other hand finish their World Cup campaign with 1 win in the Super 12 but with heads held high due to their competitive displays.
