T20 World Cup: New Zealand beat Ireland by 35 runs and qualify for semi-finals | Cricket News

New Zealand beat Ireland by 35 runs in Adelaide – and then qualified for the T20 World Cup semi-finals after Australia failed to defeat Afghanistan by 185 runs.

Australia needed a win of that margin to move ahead of New Zealand on net run-rate at the top of Group 1 but the hosts could only make 168-8 against Afghanistan in Friday’s later game.

The Black Caps can now finish no lower than second in their pool, although they could be knocked off top spot if England hammer Sri Lanka in Sydney on Saturday.

New Zealand posted 185-6 against Ireland amid a stunning hat-trick from Josh Little, with Ireland restricted to 150-9 in reply.

Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson (61 off 35) top-scored for his side – before he became the first of Little’s victims as the left-arm quick bagged a superb 19th-over hat-trick.

Williamson was caught by Gareth Delany at deep backward square and Jimmy Neesham (0) was pinned lbw, before Little secured the sixth Men’s T20 World Cup hat-trick when he trapped Mitchell Santner plumb in front for a duck.

New Zealand had looked on course for well over 200 until Little’s stunning intervention, which was the second hat-trick by an Irish men’s player in T20 internationals, after Curtis Campher against Netherlands during last year’s World Cup in the UAE.

Ireland raced to 68-0 in eight overs in reply through skipper Andrew Balbirnie (30 off 25) and Paul Stirling (37 off 27) as they sensed an upset, one that would have given England and Australia a boost and helped keep alive Sri Lanka’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals.

However, Balbirnie chopped Santner onto his stumps at the start of the ninth over, Stirling was bowled by Ish Sodhi at the beginning of the 10th and Harry Tector (2) then spooned Santner to point midway through the 11th as Ireland’s innings faded.

Ireland had the remotest of chances of qualifying for the semi-finals had they been able to win and somehow take their net run-rate above New Zealand’s.

That was not to be but they can reflect on a largely successful tournament in which they thumped two-time champions West Indies to make the Super 12s and then secured a famous win over England at the MCG.