Australia needed a win by that much of a margin to overtake New Zealand at the top of Group 1 on the basis of net run rate, but in Friday’s later encounter against Afghanistan, the hosts could only muster 168-8 before running our four-run victors.
The Black Caps can now only place second in their group, although they risk losing first place if England defeats Sri Lanka by 127 runs or more on Saturday in Sydney.
Josh Little’s incredible hat-trick helped New Zealand defeat Ireland with a score of 185-6, while Ireland’s response was limited to 150-9.
Kane Williamson, the Kiwi captain, led his team in scoring with 61 off 35 before being Little’s first victim after the left-arm fast hit an outstanding hat-trick in the 19th over.
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Before Little scored the sixth Men’s T20 World Cup hat-trick by trapping Mitchell Santner for a duck, Williamson was caught by Gareth Delany at deep backward square and Jimmy Neesham (0) was pinned lbw.
Little’s amazing intervention, the second hat-trick by an Irish men’s player in T20 internationals (the first being Curtis Campher against the Netherlands during the World Cup in the previous year), prevented New Zealand from scoring more than 200 runs.
In response, Ireland quickly reached 68-0 in eight overs thanks to captain Andrew Balbirnie (30 off 25) and Paul Stirling (37 off 27), sensing an upset that would have boosted England and Australia and preserved Sri Lanka’s chances of making it to the semi-finals.
But as Ireland’s innings dwindled, Balbirnie was bowled onto his stumps by Santner at the start of the ninth over, Stirling by Ish Sodhi at the start of the tenth, and Harry Tector (2) spooned Santner to point halfway through the eleventh.
If Ireland managed to win and raise their net run rate over that of New Zealand, they would have had the slimmest of possibilities to advance to the semifinals.
Even if it didn’t work out, they can look back on a generally good campaign in which they defeated the two-time champion West Indies to advance to the Super 12s and then beat England at the MCG.