The White Ferns beat Ireland by four runs on Friday to keep their hopes alive in the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup. The match was close until the final ball, with New Zealand scoring 140-6 and Ireland finishing on 136-4. The result was important because New Zealand had lost its first two group games.
New Zealand made a poor start after Ireland chose to bowl first, falling to 10-3 in the fourth over. Melie Kerr helped the team recover with 30 runs, while Brooke Halliday and Izzy Sharp shared a useful partnership of 62 runs. Suzie Bates, playing her first match of the tournament, scored 19 from 12 balls and hit a six from the final ball of New Zealand’s innings.
Ireland came very close to earning its first-ever World Cup win after 19 defeats. Captain Gaby Lewis and Orla Prendergast shared a strong partnership of 110 runs, putting Ireland in a good position. Prendergast was out for 59, and Lewis followed soon after for 58.
Ireland needed 15 runs from the final over, but Bates gave away only 10 runs to seal the win for New Zealand. Melie Kerr, who was named player of the match, said the team needed to believe it could still win games. The victory means New Zealand still has a chance of defending its title.
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