Southampton, June 18 (IANS) New Zealand and Ireland enter their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup clash knowing there is little room left for error, with both teams still searching for their first points of the tournament. A third straight defeat for either side would leave their semi-final hopes hanging by a thread, making this a must-win contest.

The White Ferns were stunned by the West Indies in their campaign opener as the Caribbean side clinched a one-run win. The defending champions then faced Sri Lanka in their second encounter, but faced another setback despite posting a 151-run target as the Islanders bagged a five-wicket win with three balls to spare.

New Zealand’s fielding once again let them down. After several drops against the West Indies in their opening loss, they missed another three chances, including Bree Illing’s important drop of match-winner Nilakshi de Silva on one. The White Ferns were poor in the field and too cautious with the bat, reaching only 38-1 during the powerplay before captain Kerr and Sophie Devine scored 45 each, helping them reach 150-6.

New Zealand’s opportunity to defend their title is diminishing after an unforeseen defeat to Sri Lanka. After consecutive losses in the final overs, they now face the possibility of being eliminated in the group stage, even though they are among the favourites to progress alongside England.

The Irish team has not secured any points so far, losing to Scotland and England. Their first match against Scotland started promising but became one-sided at the halfway point, as Ireland experienced a batting collapse.

Led by Gaby Lewis, the team put up a strong fight against the tournament hosts at The Rose Bowl. After scoring just 118 in their 20 overs, they challenged England and made it tough for them to win easily. England, guided by Nat Sciver-Brunt, chased the modest target and reached the finish line in the 18th over, with Ireland’s promising bowlers taking six wickets.

With both sides eager for victory and each game in the tournament becoming critical, the upcoming match promises to be highly exciting.

When: Friday, June 19, 11:00 PM IST

Where: The Rose Bowl, Southampton

Where to watch: The NZ vs IRE match will be broadcast on Star Sports channels, with JioHotstar live-streaming the game.

Squads:

New Zealand: Melie Kerr (c), Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Nensi Patel, Georgia Plimmer, Izzy Sharp, Lea Tahuhu

Ireland: Gaby Lewis (c), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Aimee Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell, Alice Tector

–IANS

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