Ireland well beaten by New Zealand in final group game

As the tournament said goodbye to the Guyana National Stadium, Ireland gave two of their senior players a guard of honour as they took the field for the last time in international cricket, only to have two more announce their retirements at the end of the game. There were no surprises in the result, as Sophie Devine matched the record for the fastest fifty in ICC Women's World T20s to give New Zealand an eight-wicket win.

Twin sisters Isobel and Cecelia Joyce joined Clare Shillington and Ciara Metcalfe in retirement at the end of Ireland's game against New Zealand. On the field, it was Gaby Lewis who impressed before Sophie Devine ended New Zealand's tournament with some fireworks.

Chasing Ireland's 79 for nine, Sophie Devine (51) hit the joint fastest-fifty in the tournament and second fastest ever, matching the 21-ball mark that Australia's Alyssa Healy set earlier this week. The three sixes she hit took the tournament's tally past 57, setting a record for the most sixes across editions of the ICC Women's World T20, with five matches still to be played.

Earlier, Lewis hit five fours as she scored a brisk 39, equaling the highest score for Ireland in the ICC Women's World T20s. She was the only Ireland batter to make an impression though, as off-spinner Leigh Kasperek took three wickets.

New Zealand vice-captain Maddy Green said: "I think probably in Australia in our series Sophie and Suzie had been batting together. And we thought we could potentially lengthen our batting order a little bit (by separating them).

"Anna Peterson has been batting really well in domestic cricket, opening the batting…Unfortunately that didn't come off for her in those first few games."

Ireland's Kim Garth said: "There's definitely a lot of tears. You know, Cecelia, Ciara, Shills and Isobel have been four incredible servants of Irish cricket. And I don't think Irish women's cricket will be anywhere near it is today without them.

"They're absolute champions on the field but champions off the field as well. And yeah, we're going to miss them a lot. I think it's also. It is extremely sad that they're retiring. It's going to be a different dynamic without them."