Southampton, June 18 (IANS) New Zealand and Ireland lock horns in the 13th match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup with both sides desperately searching for their first points of the tournament. Having lost their opening two matches, the contest has effectively become a must-win fixture, with defeat likely to leave the losing side’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals hanging by a thread.

The defending champions have endured an unexpectedly difficult start to their title defence. New Zealand were edged out by the West Indies in a dramatic one-run defeat before suffering another setback against Sri Lanka, who chased down 151 with three balls to spare. While the White Ferns have shown glimpses of their quality with the bat, they have repeatedly been let down by poor execution in key moments.

Their fielding has been particularly costly, with multiple dropped catches across both games allowing opponents to build decisive partnerships. Against Sri Lanka alone, New Zealand missed three opportunities, including an early reprieve for match-winner Nilakshi de Silva, while a cautious approach in the Powerplay saw them manage just 38/1 before Amelia Kerr and Sophie Devine rescued the innings with identical scores of 45, lifting the total to 150/6.

Back-to-back defeats have placed the reigning champions in unfamiliar territory. Widely tipped to progress alongside England from the group, New Zealand now face the genuine prospect of an early exit unless they can quickly rediscover the consistency that powered them to last year’s title.

Ireland, meanwhile, have also found victories hard to come by, beginning their campaign with defeats to Scotland and England. Their opening fixture promised much before the batting line-up collapsed, allowing Scotland to take complete control. However, there were encouraging signs in their second outing against tournament hosts England.

Despite posting a modest 118 in 20 overs, Gaby Lewis’ side produced an impressive display with the ball, claiming six wickets and forcing England to work hard before sealing victory in the 18th over. The spirited bowling effort demonstrated the resilience within the Irish squad, even if the batting unit continues to search for greater consistency.

With both teams yet to open their account, every remaining match carries knockout implications. New Zealand will be eager to translate their experience into a complete performance, while Ireland will believe another disciplined bowling display, backed by an improved batting effort, could reignite their campaign. All signs point to a fiercely contested encounter between two sides with little margin left for error.

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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