New Zealand could easily have found themselves on the brink of an early exit from the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 when they faced Ireland in Southampton on Friday. However, the defending champions held their nerve to secure a thrilling four-run victory, registering their first win of the tournament after back-to-back defeats against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
Defending a modest target of 141, New Zealand were put under immense pressure as Gaby Lewis and Orla Prendergast stitched together a 110-run partnership for the second wicket. But veteran Suzie Bates drew on all her experience to defend 15 runs in the final over and steer the White Ferns to victory.
New Zealand vs Ireland, Women’s T20 World Cup: Highlights | Scorecard
Bates, playing her first match of the tournament, also made a valuable contribution with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 19 off 12 deliveries, including a six off the final ball of New Zealand’s innings.
The White Ferns adopted an aggressive approach at the top of the order, but it backfired as they slumped to 10 for three inside four overs. Captain Amelia Kerr, Brooke Halliday, Izzy Sharp and Bates then combined to steady the innings and guide New Zealand to a competitive 140 for six.
‘PLAYING AGGRESSIVE WAS OUR CHOICE’
Speaking after the match, pacer Jess Kerr revealed that New Zealand had deliberately looked to play with positive intent despite their poor start to the tournament. She also praised her teammates for showing tremendous character and composure in the death overs when Ireland appeared poised to snatch the game away.
“Yeah, look, it was not the start we wanted and it was sort of our choice on how we wanted to show up today. And T20 cricket doesn’t always go your way, but I think the character that the group showed to the very last ball speaks volumes of this team and sort of our grit and determination. And yeah, really, really glad to have one on the board today,” Kerr said in the post-match press conference.
‘FIELDING HAD LET US DOWN’
Kerr felt New Zealand’s batting and bowling performances in the first two matches were not far off the mark, despite the defeats. She admitted that the fielding had been the team’s biggest concern but stressed that the players never lost belief in their approach.
“We created chances and, while we’d always like to score more runs and take more wickets, it was probably the fielding that let us down. Professional sport is tough and there are always ups and downs, but you’ve got to keep believing,” Kerr said.
She added that New Zealand remained committed to their aggressive style of play and had no intention of abandoning it after two losses.
“We’ve always said we want to go out and attack, and it shouldn’t take two losses to change that method,” she said.
Still some distance of recovering from their early losses, New Zealand will next be up against Kathryn Bryce’s Scotland on Tuesday, June 23 at the County Ground in Bristol. But their biggest match will be against England on June 27, a contest that could eventually decide if they go through to the semis or fall short of the top four.
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