A captain's knock from Kane Williamson has seen the Blackcaps all but book their spot in the T20 World Cup semi-finals with a comfortable victory over Ireland at Adelaide Oval.
Williamson top-scored with 61 to steer New Zealand to a 50-run victory, and almost guarantee top spot in Group One of the Super 12.
New Zealand went into their final pool game tied with England and Australia on five points, but victory and their far superior net run rate should see them through to the final four.
After losing the toss and being sent into bat, Blackcaps openers Finn Allen and Devon Conway struggled early on with the slow pace of the pitch, and the ball holding onto the surface.
Conway was lucky not to depart in the second over after being dropped by mid-off, before Allen finally removed the shackles.
He took a liking to leg-spinner Gareth Delany, lofting three boundaries over his head in the fourth over.
But his 32-run cameo off just 18 balls came to an end in the next over, with Mark Adair picking up his wicket with Fionn Hand completing the catch.
His dismissal brought under-fire captain Kane Williamson to the crease, and showed why class is permanent in his search of form before the knockout fixtures.
With so much made over the skipper's struggling strike rate so far in the tournament, it was Conway who struggled to find the boundary rope.
After 10 overs, the keeper-opener had just 19 runs from 28 balls, with Williamson at a run-a-ball 14 at the other end.
Conway (28) tried to pick up his pace but could only find Adair in the outfield, with Delany claiming his wicket in the 11th over.
His wicket saw Blackcaps star batter of the tournament, Glen Phillips come to the middle, and looked set for another blistering cameo after hoisting just his second delivery for a six.
But Delany again stunted New Zealand's charge, with George Dockrell taking a tidy catch to remove the dangerous hitter.
Williamson brought up his half-century with a beautiful shot over deep midwicket for six, before hitting another maximum just two balls later.
The skipper found good support in the form of Daryl Mitchell, who finished 31 not out, before Ireland fast bowler Josh Little took a sensational hat-trick.
Little removed Williamson, before trapping James Neessham and Mitchell Santner LBW for golden ducks with the next two deliveries to restrict New Zealand to 185/6 after 20 overs.
Ireland's chase got off to a steady start, before the Blackcaps spin bowlers struck to halt their charge and ultimately swing the game well and truly in New Zealand's favour.
Openers Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirinie put on a 68-run partnership off just 49 runs, and looked to have laid the perfect foundation for an Irish upset.
Santner and Ish Sodhi were on the end of blistering blows, before making adjustments and striking in their second over.
Santner bowled Balbrinie (30) with a lovely slower delivery, before Sodhi removed Stirling's off stump - wickets Ireland never recovered from.
Dockrell offered some reprieve with a well-played 23 runs, but Santner and Sodhi would both claim another wicket, before fast bowlers Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson finished off the job.
Southee finished with 2/29, while Ferguson's pace proved too much for Ireland's lower order, ending with 3/22 off his four overs.
New Zealand will now have to wait to see the results of England v Sri Lanka and Australia v Afghanistan to find out if they advanced to the semi-finals.
New Zealand 185/6 (Williamson 61, Allen 32, Mitchell 31*; Little 3/22, Delany 2/30)
Ireland 150/9 (Stirling 37, Balbirnie 30, Dockrell 23; Ferguson 3/22, Southee 2/29)
