NEW ZEALAND has defied pre-tournament expectations to make the Women’s T20 World Cup Semi-Finals, after defeating Pakistan by 54 runs to finish second in its group.

After New Zealand made 6/110 from its 20 overs, the Kiwis then rolled the Pakistanis for just 56. The win also knocks out the more highly fancied India out of the tournament.

New Zealand made a pretty good start to its innings, with a 41 run, six and a half over long opening partnership.

However, once the wickets started to fall the partnerships started to shrink, and momentum became quite the struggle. After that opening partnership, New Zealand only had one more partnership of any substance, the 38 run fourth wicket one.

Suzie Bates and her top score of 28 led the way from the top of the order, while in the middle order Brooke Halliday made 22.

Meanwhile for Pakistan, Nashra Sundhu was chief destroyer with ball in hand with three wickets, while Sadia Iqbal, Nida Dar and Omaima Sohail took one wicket each.

Despite the pressure of defending a low score, New Zealand’s bowlers went to work early, claiming their first wicket eight balls into the innings.

That early wicket from Eden Carson was a sign of things to come, as the wickets started falling quickly. Pakistan only had two double digit partnerships, and the Pakistanis lost 4/4 in the space of 11 balls at the end of their innings to be all bowled out two balls shy of the end of the 12th over.

That destructive end to the innings came from Amelia Kerr, who took three of the final four wickets to top the bowling tally. Carson ended up with two wickets, while all of the other bowlers New Zealand used took one each. Captain Sophie Devine did not even have to use herself as a bowler during the innings.

For Pakistan, only two batters made a double figure score, and only one further batter outscored the extras tally of four.

After this win, New Zealand now sits back and wait to se which of England, South Africa or the West Indies it will play in the semi-finals.