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A Kane Williamson half-century and a spin bowling assault fired New Zealand to a 35-run win over Ireland at the Adelaide Oval on Friday to all but book their place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
Meanwhile Ireland bowed out of the World Cup but head home with pride after a solid tournament capped by a sparkling hat-trick to paceman Josh Little.
Left-armer Little had captain Williamson caught at deep backward square for 61, then trapped both James Neesham and Mitchell Santner lbw for no score in the 19th over to bring up Ireland's second hat-trick in T20 internationals.
After the hat-trick ball he was mobbed by his team mates and trigger cheers from the building crowd at the stadium.
Both Neesham and Santner tried to overturn their decisions but the decision review system confirmed the wickets, etching Little's name in Irish cricket history.
Little's hat-trick was the sixth in T20 World Cups and the second at this year's tournament.
Curtis Campher took Ireland's first T20I hat-trick against the Netherlands at last year's World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
