Ireland Women vs New Zealand Women Match 13 Full Commentary

Welcome back for the run chase. The umpires are out in the middle. New Zealand Women are huddled near the fence before they take their respective field positions. Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis open up for the Ireland Women. Rosemary Mair has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. Let's play...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Is 140 enough? A late cameo of 19 from veteran Suzie Bates helped push New Zealand to a final total of 140. It feels slightly below par, and the Irish bowlers deserve massive credit for keeping the shackles on throughout the innings. Orla Prendergast and Cara Murray led the attack beautifully with two wickets each, supported by disciplined spells from Aimee Maguire and Arlene Kelly. Ireland will certainly back themselves to chase this down.

A quick word - Cara Murray is in for a chat. She mentions that they are very pleased with their efforts with the ball. On their batting plans, she says the aim is to stay calm, get to the crease, and keep things simple by backing their plans, noting the surface did not offer much today. On the use of spin in the middle overs, she says it has been a planned approach that the analysts have helped put together. She adds that the surface is a touch slow and hasn't offered a huge amount of turn. She believes that the girls are capable of chasing this one and hopes to chip in with a contribution herself as well.

The middle-order rescue act - Brooke Halliday and Izzy Sharp then stepped up to steady a sinking ship. At the halfway mark, New Zealand were crawling at 59/4. The duo focused on survival, stitching together a gritty, hard-fought partnership. While it kept the scoreboard ticking, the runs came at a slow rate. Cara Murray finally broke the resilient stand in the 17th over by dismissing Halliday for 34, and Sharp followed her back to the dugout soon after for a well-made 36.

A nightmare start! It was a chaotic start for the White Ferns. Ireland struck gold immediately, removing openers Isabella Gaze and Georgia Plimmer within the first two overs. When Maddy Green fell cheaply in the fourth over, New Zealand were staring down the barrel. Amelia Kerr offered a brief counter-attack with a brisk 30, but her departure in the ninth over left the Kiwis reeling early on.

New Zealand Women need a big over. Can they get past 140?

Arlene Kelly gets the big wicket of Izzy Sharp. Jess Kerr walks in to bat now.

Good over from Orla Prendergast. Arlene Kelly to bowl the penultimate.

Last 3 overs to go. Can New Zealand Women get over 140? Orla Prendergast comes into the attack now.

That's a wrap - A very competitive game of cricket where Ireland nearly pulled off a historic win, but it wasn't to be for them. They are virtually out of the tournament, whereas New Zealand, with their first win, keep their title defence alive, but still hanging by a thread. Up next, it's a triple header day on Saturday, 20th June. It all starts with Australia taking on the Netherlands, followed by Pakistan Women going up against Bangladesh Women. Both games will be played at Southampton. The caravan will then roll into Headingley as England Women will face Scotland Women. The first ball of the first match will be bowled at 9.30 am GMT, followed by non-stop cricketing action. Do make sure to join early for the buildup. Until then, cheers!

The captain of New Zealand Women - Amelia Kerr admits it has been a disappointing start but says today was about turning up with the right attitude and body language. She says the past cannot be changed, but reminds herself and the group that representing the country on a world stage is a big deal and that there is still plenty to play for. On the knockout chances, she says the mathematical opportunity is still there and points to how this tournament has shown that anyone can beat anyone, singling out Ireland and Scotland for the brilliant impression they have made in their first World Cups. On Bates, Kerr says she thrives in big moments, recalling what she did against Sri Lanka in the last tournament. She says Bates puts in the hard yards in training, working specifically on her death-overs bowling, and while the last two games did not go her way, Kerr says everyone in the group knows how good she can be and that it is a real privilege to have her in the side.

The captain of Ireland Women - Gaby Lewis, on her immediate reaction, says it is hard to reflect right away with so many emotions running high. She says Ireland wanted that first win badly and it slipped through their fingers, and that she might be better placed to reflect on it later. When asked about the preparation for the Kiwi batters, she credits the analysts and coaches for doing a tremendous job breaking down the different players and helping the side prepare thoroughly. On restricting New Zealand to 140, Lewis says the reigning champions are that for a reason, but Ireland felt they were very much in the game after keeping them to that total. On being asked about her partnership with Orla Prendergast, she says the two of them love batting together and run well between the wickets. She is clearly gutted, saying both of them feel they should have got Ireland over the line and that losing wickets at crucial moments was the difference. When asked to reflect on the tournament as a whole, Lewis mentions that Ireland have improved with each game and that is something the group takes real pride in. She reminds that it is a very young side and says getting better every game is exactly what they are building towards.

... Time to hear it from the two captains ...

The Kiwis couldn't fly, quite literally - Ireland's bowlers set the tone from the very first over and never truly let New Zealand settle. Maguire and Prendergast ran through the top order in the powerplay, leaving the White Ferns gasping at 31 for 3. Kerr, as she so often does, took it upon herself to rebuild, but fell for 30 just as the innings looked to be finding its feet, leaving New Zealand in a precarious position at 48 for 4. Sharp and Halliday fought hard in the middle overs and steadied the sinking ship with a pivotal 62-run stand to drag the innings back from the brink. Ireland admirably plugged the boundary flow towards the backend, and in order to up the ante, the Kiwis lost both set batters in the span of two overs. Bates, walking in at number seven in T20Is for the first time, gave the death overs a much-needed spark, but New Zealand could only muster 140, a total that felt well short.

Amelia clutch Kerr - A lot went wrong for New Zealand with the ball before a slice of luck turned it their way. Bree Illing provided an early breakthrough with the wicket of Amy Hunter, but after that the Kiwis were starved of wickets and leaked far too many loose deliveries. The fielding demons crept back in too, most notably when Orla Prendergast was put down on 10, a moment that could have changed the game entirely. Ground fielding errors kept piling up, and with Ireland needing just 29 from 18 balls, New Zealand looked dead and buried. Then came Amelia Kerr back into the attack, wicketless in this World Cup until that moment. Bowling her final over, she delivered exactly when it mattered most, removing the dangerous Orla Prendergast and then Stokell in the same over. Ireland never recovered from that double blow and ultimately left too much on the plate. But with Gaby still out there, there was a belief of getting the job done, but her perishing in the penultimate over was the final nail in the coffin for Ireland.

So close, yet so far - That's exactly how the Irish side would be feeling right now. They did so many things right in this match. They bowled well according to their plans and executed them with near-perfection. In the chase too, they almost handed a shock to the Kiwis. Ireland's batting had been their biggest weakness coming into this game, but Orla Prendergast and Gaby Lewis dug in deep and showed plenty of grit. They did not score quickly, perhaps a conscious decision to shield a batting unit that has looked vulnerable throughout the tournament. It was a stark contrast to New Zealand, whose batters threw their wickets away early and never quite recovered from the slide. Gaby and Orla batted beautifully together, threading their way to a 110-run stand without taking unnecessary risks. While Prendergast was the aggressor, Lewis complimented her by anchoring as both got off to their well-paced half-centuries. But when it looked like the game was in their kitty, and the moment came to go for the kill, Ireland simply could not find the next gear.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Amelia Kerr wins the award for her responsible bowling and batting display. She picked up two crucial wickets towards the backend, which ultimately proved to be the turning point of the match. She also scored a crucial 30 (24) to bail her team out of trouble. On the tournament so far, Kerr says it has been a rollercoaster of emotions after not starting the World Cup the way they would have wanted. She says Ireland challenged them hard today but is glad the side came out on top. On her knock, she says runs win games and admits she got out at a bad time, feeling she could have kicked on and helped New Zealand post a bigger total. On her bowling role, Kerr says it is always a balancing act and that she typically comes on after the Powerplay. She credits the depth in the bowling attack, pointing to Bree Illing bowling four overs on the trot, which allowed her to hold herself back and come on at the right moment.

The Kiwis hold their nerve - Over - 19.6 - first innings. Suzie Bates was facing the final ball which she struck for a six. And that indeed made the difference as that maximum has kept New Zealand well and truly alive in this World Cup. The game of margins they say. New Zealand have survived a scare and they can breathe for now. But credit to the Irish team as they played a solid brand of cricket from start to finish. Just that they could not land the knockout blow. They pushed the Kiwis to deep waters and had them anxious for most part of the run chase. But sadly, it wasn't to be for them.

Righto, last over coming up. Ireland Women still require 15 runs to win. And surprise, surprise. It's the veteran, Suzie Bates, who will be bowling the final over.

Smiles are back in the Kiwi camp as 116/1 becomes 123/4 for Ireland. And all of a sudden, they are on the back foot. This is a solid fightback from the White Ferns. Leah Paul is in at number 6.

That was a clutch over from captain Kerr. Just what the doctor ordered for the Kiwis. It has just gotten a lot nervy now for Ireland. They still need 25 from 12 balls. Louise Little is in at number 5.

Huge moment in the game as Amelia Kerr breaks the 110-run partnership at a very crucial time. Rebecca Stokell is in at number 4.