NEW ZEALAND WIN BY 35 RUNS
IRELAND 150/9 BLACKCAPS 185/6
20th over - Southee to bowl the last over. Adair looks to clear Phillips, who looked to have initially misjudged it, but back-pedals to claim the catch. Hat-trick star Little the new batter in and launches Southee over the legside for a huge six. He clears the front leg for a single off the final ball and that is a NZ win!
19th over - Boult back to bowl his final over. McCarthy starts with a jab to point for a single, before Adair picks up one run. Boult bowls wide just outside off, and McCarthy digs it to long on for a couple more.
18th over - Ferguson returns, and Dockrell welcomes him with a beautiful shot on the offside for a boundary. Hand looks to pull and it's gone straight up! Ferguson gets underneath it and takes a good catch. Dockrell looks to clear the front leg but can't clear Williamson and he takes an easy catch.
17th over - Southee is back into the attack. Campher and Dockrell punch it around for a couple of singles, before Campher charges down the wicket, but can't clear Allen, who takes another simple catch at mid-off. Hand the new batter in and finds the boudary rope down the ground.
16th over - Boult is brought back into the attack. Campher goes at it hard and top edges it for his first boundary. Dockrell gets a couple, before reaching for a wide delivery, finding the edge for another boundary. One ball to go and this time, Dockrell launches it over deep cover for four.
15th over - Sodhi to bowl his last over now. Phillips fields well to keep Tucker's powerful sweep to just a couple, before he looks to clear long-off but doesn't connect and Allen takes the easy catch. Campher the new batter in, starts with a reverse sweep for a single.
14th over - Ferguson replaces Delany and strikes first ball! He has him caught behind, with Conway diving to his left to take a tidy grab. Dockrell the next batter in, misses his first ball before finding a gap for a couple. Tucker top edges for a single off the last ball.
13th over - Santner to bowl his final over and beats Delany with two straight deliveries, before he hoists it over extra cover for four runs. Tucker tries to reverse sweep but misses, before trying the same shot and survives a stumping.
12th over - More spin as Sodhi resumes. Tucker looks to sweep and gets a huge top edge but it lands safely. Tucker looks to sweep again and edges it wide of Conway. Delany comes down the wicket, and the ball flicks his pads for a legbye. Tucker cuts and Neesham does superbly to keep it to just two runs instead of a boundary, before picking up another two.
11th over - Santner continues and resumes his extra slow deliveries, as Tector struggles to find the gap, before only edging it to Southee and he now has to depart. Delany next man in for Ireland and cuts powerfully for four runs off his first ball.
10th over - Sodhi back again and he too picks up Stirling's wicket with a slower one, bowling top of off to remove the dangerous opener. Tector the new batter in now. Both looking to sweep Sodhi and find space on the legside for a couple of singles.
9th over - Santner continues. Balbirnie looks to play it through the offside but chops on! NZ have their first wicket. Tucker the new batter in. Santner finding success bowling very slow, as Tucker gets off the mark on his third delivery.
8th over - Sodhi replaces Ferguson and starts with a wide. Balbirnie gets down on one knee and slaps Sodhi over deep midwicket for six runs, before doing it again just a few balls later! Both Irish openers looking well set. 15 from that over.
7th over - Santner comes into the attack. Balbirnie guides it on the offside for a single. Stirling reverse sweeps over short third for four, before cracking a six over deep midwicket! He goes again, doesn't time it but lands safely.
6th over - Ferguson continues and Stirling looks to attack him straight away, but good fielding keeps it to just a single. Balbirinie tries to pull but misses. He looks to push it towards cover but can't beat the fielder. Manages a single off the final ball.
5th over - Southee replaces Boult. Stirling looks to clear the front leg and picks up a couple on the legside. He and Balbirnie both pick up singles, before Stirling pulls fine and helps it on its way to the legside boundary. Stiring ends the over with another two.
4th over - Ferguson replaces Southee. Stirling tries a big heave but can't connect. He tries to clear the front leg but can't quite reach a wide yorker. Balbirnie finds a gap for a couple of runs, before Stirling picks up three down the ground.
3rd over - Boult continues. Stirling looks to crunch him through mid-off but can only find the fielder for no run. Stirling pulls this time through midwicket for a couple more runs. He then charges down the wicket and picks up four runs over point.
2nd over - Southee to bowl from the other end. He finds Stirling's edge but it lands safely of deep third. Balbirnie crunches Southee just wide of mid-off for just a single. Stirling misses a straight one and Williamson reviews but it's umpire's call and he survives.
1st over - Boult to bowl the first over, and straight away beats Stirling's edge, before the Irish opener whips a straight delivery legside for a single. Balbirnie gets cut in half by his delivery, but luckily avoids the edge of his bat. Balbirnie pulls a short delivery and it goes all the way for a six!
INNINGS BREAK
20th over - Adair to bowl the final over. Starts with a wide full toss and Mitchell can only pick up a single, before Southee ducks below a wide. Adair comes back well with two yorkers for a couple of dot balls. Tries a yorker again, bowls a full toss and Mitchell slaps it right back to him but he can't hold onto the catch. Mitchell picks up a couple through deep cover, before another two to end the innings. NZ reach 185/6 after their 20 overs.
19th over - Little is back for his final over. Williamson looks to go big again but can't beat Delany on the boundary, and he departs for a superb knock. Neesham the new batter in and he's trapped LBW first ball! He reviews, but it's stone dead. Santer next in and he's GONE first ball! Little has a hat-trick! Santner was also trapped LBW. He reviews but it's plumb. Southee the new man in and he manages to hit it for a single.
18th over - McCarthy to bowl his last over. Bowls a very straight full toss and Mitchell is dropped by short fine-leg and gets a couple of runs. Williamson brings up his half-century with a beauitful shot over the legside, before edging it over short third for four runs. One ball to go and Williamson launches it over deep cover for another maximum!
17th over - Adair is back and starts with a huge wide. Adair tries the slower ball but it's far too shot and Mitchell whacks him through deep cover for four runs. Mitchell gets a couple more, before Williamson finds space for two more runs.
16h over - Dockrell is back into the attack. Williamson guides a straight ball towards a vacant area on the legside for a boundary. Williamson can't quite connect but gets enough on it for a couple of runs, before lofting Dockrell through deep midwicket for four runs.
15th over - Little returns for a bowl and Williamson pulls him to the legside for a single, before Mitchell also drops it towards midwicket for one run. Mitchell mistimes a slower ball but it falls short of mid-off. NZ have only managed a single off the first five balls, before Little bowls a wide. Mitchell pulls, and pulls hard to pick up four runs with the final delivery.
14th over - Delany to bowl his last over and Phillips looks to launch him over deep cover but Dockrell takes a good catch to remove him. Mitchell the new batter in and tries to reverse sweep and almost gets trapped LBW. Williamson looks to pull but can only pick up a single.
13th over - McCarthy back into the attack and Phillips hits him through cover for a single. Williamson also finds a gap for a single, before Phillips hits two glorious boundaries on both the offside and legside. Phillips wasting no time here.
12th over - Delany returns with some legspin and starts with a wide, before Conway edges but it lands safely for a couple of runs. Conway looks to drag him legside, only finds the toe of his bat and Adair completes the catch. Philips blocks the first delivery before launching Delany for six runs over midwicket.
11th over - Hand returns for a bowl. Williamson starts with a single, before Conway mistimes it but luckily the ball falls safely for a couple runs. But doesn't miss the next one, pulling Hand through midwicket for a much-needed boundary. Williamson hits Hand over his head for his second boundary, before rocking onto the backfoot and pulling for six!
10th over - Dockrell into the attack. Starts with a wide before Conway hoists him over the legside for a single. Williamson rocks onto the backfoot and finds grass for one run. Dockrell bowls another wide, before Conway picks up another single through cover.
9th over - McCarthy comes back and Williamson just manages to launch him over cover for his first boundary, before whipping it legside for a single. Williamson hits the final ball for a couple after some good fielding near the boundary rope on the offside.
8th over - Delany back to bowl his legspin. Williamson can't get the first two deliveries away before clipping it legside for a single. Conway charges but only picks up one. Conway changes his mind at the last second to drop it towards short third for no run.
7th over - Hand to bowl his first over. Conway pushes the first ball to deep point for a single. Williamson clips it wide of mid-on for his first run. Conway frees his arms, tries to drive through cover, but can only pick up a single. Williamson punches it for one to end the over.
6th over - Adair returns and Conway welcomes him by lofting him to deep square for four runs. Adair goes short, and Allen hooks it over fine leg for the game's first six! Adair tries the slower ball and Allen picks it up and smashes him over his head for four. Allen tries to drill it again, but he's caught at mid-off! Williamson is beaten first ball.
5th over - Little returns after a good first over. Starts well with a couple of dot balls, before Conway nudges towards extra cover for a single. Allen looks to pull, but the slower ball gets him and he settles for a legbye. Allen ends the over with a beautiful shot down the ground for four.
4th over - Another bowling change as Delany replaces Adair for some spin. Allen comes down the track and hits it wide of mid-off for four runs. And again twice more, charges down the pitch for a couple more boundaries.
3rd over - McCarthy replaces Little. Conway starts with a quick single. Allen heaves, doesn't quite get hold of it and picks up just one. Conway charges and can't connect, before swiping and missing the next delivery. Allen charges the final ball, gets the toe end of the bat but lands safely.
2nd over - Adair to open from the other end, starts with a wide delivery and Conway just gets a tickle on it for four runs down the legside. Adair comes back well with three straight dots. Conway charges, connects well and mid-off drops it! Was hit very hard.
1st over - Little to open the bowling for Ireland. Allen pulls the first ball for an easy single. Little bowls too straight to Conway and he clips it legside for one. Allen slashes at a couple but can't beat cover, before playing and missing. Ends the over with a couple.
4:58pm - Formalities are out of the way, and Allen and Conway make their way to the middle. Ireland are all set and ready to go, conditions are perfect, can NZ post a big total?
4:52pm - Players making their way onto the field for the national anthems. NZ will need to be wary against an Irish team that toppled England earlier in the tournament.
4:35pm - Both teams are unchanged. Allen and Conway to open for NZ. We're about 25 minutes away from the first ball.
4:32pm - News in the from the middle - Ireland have won the toss and have elected to bowl. Should be a cracker of a match!
4:30pm - Welcome and thank you for joining us! We should have the toss very soon and the confirmed playing lineups for both NZ and Ireland. Weather forecast is absolutely perfect too.
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Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the T20 World Cup Super 12 clash between New Zealand and Ireland at Adelaide Oval.
While the table-topping Blackcaps can clinch a spot in the semi-finals tonight, they could also advance with a defeat, if England or Australia lose their final games.
New Zealand suffered their first loss of the tournament to England on Tuesday - a team the Irish shocked in one of the tournament's biggest upsets so far.
The Blackcaps are tied alongside England and Australia on five points, but their superior net run rate has them first in Group One.
A loss tonight, and wins for England over Sri Lanka and Australia against Afghanistan would result in elimination for New Zealand.
Meanwhile, a victory would most likely set up a semi-final showdown with South Africa, should the standings stay as they are.
TAB odds: New Zealand $1.10 Ireland $6.20
New Zealand: 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 James Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Lockie Ferguson
Ireland: 1 Paul Stirling, 2 Andy Balbirnie (capt), 3 Lorcan Tucker(wk), 4 Harry Tector, 5 Curtis Campher, 6 George Dockrell, 7 Gareth Delany, 8 Mark Adair, 9 Fionn Hand, 10 Barry McCarthy, 11 Josh Little.
Blackcaps defend Kane Williamson after costly slow-paced innings in defeat to England
by Alex Powell
Teammates have backed Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson to rediscover his mojo, after another costly slow stay at the crease in their 20-run defeat against England at the T20 World Cup at Brisbane.
While Williamson's 40 runs were the most he's scored at this tournament, they came in as many balls during a sluggish NZ run chase, ultimately putting them under immense scoreboard pressure in pursuit of the 180-run target set for victory.
The master batter couldn't apply a desperately needed accelerator, struggling to get the slower English bowlers away, while the asking rate steadily soared.
Another whirlwind display from Glenn Phillips (62 runs off 36 balls) ensured the Blackcaps stayed somewhat within reach, but when Williamson - who entered in the second over - was caught in the 15th with just three boundaries to his name, the Blackcaps were suddenly staring down the barrel of a run rate of over 12.
Although his departure gave the New Zealanders some impetus, they never recovered.
Through three games at the tournament so far, Williamson has a total of 71 runs off 76 balls, prompting questions about his suitability for the quickfire nature of cricket's shortest format.
None of those innings - which also include 23 against Australia and 8 against Sri Lanka - have come at better than a run per ball.
Phillips says his skipper will inevitably click back into gear.
"Kane's gold at No.3 for us," said Phillips. "He understands situations and I know he had a little bit of a tough day today, but with his experience, the ability to take a game deep and command the middle overs is crucial.
"To be able to have myself, [James] Neesham, Daryl [Mitchell], as well as [Mitchell] Santner doing our role at the end, having Kane doing what he's doing at the moment… we know that he's going to come right at some point, he always does and we can't necessarily judge him by one game.
"England bowled really well to him and they shut down his areas. Next game, he could very easily get 50 off 20 balls as well, so we back him fully."
Jos Buttler led by example for the English batters with 73 runs off 47 balls, while Alex Hales also hit a half-century.
Adil Rashid helped stifle the Kiwi offence, before Chris Woakes (2/33) and Sam Curran (2/26) finished off the job.
Allrounder Santner offered a similar assessment to his teammate, crediting the English bowling attack for Williamson's struggles.
"I think it's the way England bowled," said Santner. "They bowled very well through the middle there... the spinners bowled very well at Kane.
"If you look at the partnership, Glenn was going pretty good and Kane was playing the anchor.
"We got ourselves into a good position five or six out, and I think there was a couple of quality overs from Sam Curran and Chris Woakes that took it away from us in the end, but I think the English spinners did a great job as well.
"They had three. I thought Mo [Moeen Ali] probably could have bowled a couple more overs, after watching that first one. I think they kind of adjusted pretty well to the surface, a lot of cutters into it."
Despite the result, a win against Ireland in their final group match should be enough to see the Blackcaps through to the semi-finals.
New Zealand, England and Australia now each have two wins and a loss, with one game each to play, but the Blackcaps' superior net run rate will likely be the decisive factor. The Australians play Afghanistan in their last game, while England face Sri Lanka.
Santner insists the Blackcaps will not take Ireland lightly, given their surprise win over England earlier in the competition.
"I guess the nature of T20 cricket, if one or two guys step up on the day, they can kind of turn games," he noted.
"We'll do our prep and see what we're going to get against them, and format a plan against a pretty good side."
