New Zealand Become The First Team To Qualify For ICC T20 World Cup 2022 Semi-finals

Kane Williamson-led New Zealand National Cricket Team have become the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

The Black Caps defeated the Andy Balbirnie-led Ireland National Cricket Team in their last Super 12 match by 35 runs on Friday, November 4, at the Adelaide Oval to secure a semi-final berth.

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Losing the toss and batting first, the Kiwis posted 185/6 on the board. Williamson top-scored for his side with sensational 61 runs in his bag. Also, Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips and Devon Conway chipped in with crucial contributions.

Talking about Ireland bowlers, Joshua Little bagged a hat-trick, Delany picked up two wickets and Mark Adair bagged one wicket.

Chasing the target, Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie had a good 68-run opening stand. However, once the openers got out, Ireland lost wickets at regular intervals and they were restricted to 150/9. Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson picked up three wickets while Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner bagged two wickets each.

With the win, New Zealand reached 7 points and they have a good Net Run Rate of +2.113, which makes them the favourites to finish as Group 1 table-toppers. Australia and England can equal the Black Caps on points, but their Net Run Rate of -0.304 and +0.547 makes it hard for them to go past the Kiwis.

Spinners bowled brilliantly to get us the win – New Zealand captain Kane Williamson after the win vs Ireland

During the post-match presentation ceremony, the Black Caps captain Kane Williamson, who also won the Player of the Match award, lauded his top-order batters and the spinners. He stated:

“The ball held on the surface a little bit, I think the guys at the top were brilliant to give us the start and help us build the momentum. Then I think the spinners bowled brilliantly to get us the win. I was just trying to build some partnerships and contribute, happy to time a few balls as well today but it was a real team effort.”

“They (Ireland) played some amazing cricket, played some challenging cricket and we had to adapt well, which I thought we did. The ball was stopping on the surface, the openers made a great start and the rest of the batters adjusted well to the conditions, especially against spin.

“I wanted to take my options, work on partnerships, speak with the batters about things to do going forward. We had to wait until the 9-over mark to get our first wicket. We needed to adjust our lines, bowl a bit slower and I thought the bowlers did so beautifully,” he further said.

Also Read: Watch: Ireland’s Joshua Little Bags A Hat-Trick vs New Zealand In ICC T20 World Cup 2022