Defending champions hold on in Southampton. The venue delivers another final-over finish. Ireland finish with a bitter almost. Their campaign is in serious limbo but they'd like to open their account when they face WI. NZ will be hoping for that too. Comp-wise, games are loaded again as weekend's here. There's three tomorrow. See you there. Thanks for joining in, goodbye.

Melie Kerr, NZ captain: Disappointing start, today was about turning up and body language. Can't change the past, we're representing the country at the world stage which is big. There's still a lot to play for. Don't think training session will fix anything, it's more about holding your nerve when the game's on the line which we did today. Didn't do it in the first two games. There's a mathematical opportunity if we win three games and chances go our way. Any team can beat any team in this comp, Ireland and Scotland have run teams close which shows that. Bates loves big moments. She bowled in the semis of the last WC. She trains in the nets every day. Really backed her.

Gaby Lewis, Ireland captain: Hard to reflect, Lots of emotion. We wanted a win desperately, we let it slip through the cracks. Hard to sum it up right now. In terms up prep, our coaches do so much. They're bound to get a partnership, but to keep them to 140 was a great effort. We were waiting for that big over, got it in stints. But we got out at bad times and fell short. Really disappointed but we've gotten better every game. We're a young group, girls are learning which is massive.

Melie Kerr, POTM: Has been a rollercoaster of emotions, having started badly and now being challenged by Ireland. Happy to be on the winning side. Had to lower my risk while batting after being three down, still had to be positive. Thought I got out at a bad time. Always a balancing act working out when I bowl. I come out after the powerplay, Jess and Mair did well to allow me to bowl at the death.

Ali Raza: "IRE had all the wkts in hand.Could not show the intent when it was needed the most." Think intent was there and it just came down to execution.

9:39pm: Suzie Bates, who might have feared she'd never play another T20I again, has kept NZ alive in this WC. Prendergast and Lewis nearly batted them out in the chase. They built the innings steadily after losing Hunter early. They saw off the early overs of the key bowlers and picked up pace in the middle of the innings with orthodox shots. Lewis was the consolidator in the century stand. But then Melie got two in the over to create panic late in the game. Stokell's promotion didn't work. Lewis fell trying to manufacture pace on a slower ball, and Louise and Paul swung but couldn't connect. NZ's defensive bowling saw yorkers and slower ones. Bates, in Devine's absence, went around the wicket and took it out of batters' arcs to deny Ireland a historic win.

Time taken off. What do we have now?

Bates has stayed around

Anonymous: "Wasn't able to sleep. So I opened ESPNCricinfo; and O God, what's happening over here?!?!"

Chat on between batters. Fielders swapping positions

No Devine, has to be Patel to bowl. Scratch that, Bates is marking her run-up. Might not just be her final-ball six that may decide the match. Keeper up. Full and at the stumps is the prediction on air. Around the wicket

Mark V: "Don't you love it. How quickly the tables turn. And with holding onto catches."

Hands cupping faces in the Irish dugout

Paul in. Mair goes around

Shadow-Shell: "Usually it's satisfying to see 123-4"

Saoirse: "So bottly, almost inevitable though. Two people with 50s but barely over a run a ball, there's zero intent there. We needed more runs in the middle, especially when Melie had an over left"

Big chat between bowler and skip

Can Mair keep this under 10?

Raji: "Take a bow, Orla. That's very matured innings.."

Stokell promoted to 4

Brendan : "people are talking like this is over by run rate is over 10 an over. I think NZ are favorites "

Melie to close out now

jackreacher : "That dropped catch of Prendergast going to be very costly for New Zealand." The one Patel let down? Thought that was very tough

JOHN: "Super Over anyone ?"