Sophie Devine pummels Ireland with 21-ball fifty
New Zealand restricted Ireland to 79 and chased down the target in under eight overs as the Group B games came to a close
New Zealand restricted Ireland to 79 and chased down the target in under eight overs as the Group B games came to a close
Scorer: Binoy George | Commentator: Varun Shetty
6:18pm A bit of last-minute news on the Joyce sisters. They're twins and their brother is Ed Joyce, who also retired earlier this year. That's a very very important family in Irish cricket, and they'll set their eyes on the future of the game in the country. That is all from our coverage tonight. Thanks for joining us!
Satterthwaite: We were extremely disappointed after the first two games and we wanted to finish well. Good to finish on a high. We've learnt a lot. It's been different conditions for our players.
Delany: We didn't get enough runs on the board. We needed more. When we compare Ireland to other sides in this tournament, they were in similar places a couple of years ago. We'll look to emulate them. The Joyce sisters [Isobel and Cecelia] are going to retire from international cricket as well. That's four players. I can't thank them enough for what they've done. The next 10-12 months will be about transitioning.
Devine: It's come a bit late, funnily enough, but good to finish the tournament on a high. [My method] is a combination of power and finesse. We tried some things in the early games [with the batting order] but it didn't come off, but not thinking about it too much.
Sophie Devine is the Player of the Match.
6:02pm Metcalfe pockets the match ball and she'll lead Ireland off with Shillington as New Zealand give the two veterans a guard of honour. Emotional scenes as they get hugs of gratitude from the coaching staff. They would have liked a much better end to their careers, but they've done plenty for cricket in a country where the women's team is barely semi-professional. The tears are rolling as Ireland get into a huddle and reflect on their tournament. Took some effort to make it, and they know it themselves that with better facilities, they would have gone a long way. The New Zealand team a picture of calm in the near distance. The experienced team, the team that was clinical on the night, and the team that will wonder why with the players they have, they were out of the race so early. Group B comes to a close.
Isobel and Cecelia, who played for nearly two decades in the international circuit, announced their retirements after Ireland's loss in their final group-stage match in the World T20
New Zealand restricted Ireland to 79 and chased down the target in under eight overs as the Group B games came to a close