New Zealand's title defence was on the brink. Two defeats from their opening two games had left them in danger of going out with a whimper. To make things worse, the leading run-scorer from their first two games, Sophie Devine, was struck down with sickness after arriving at the Hampshire Bowl ahead of their must-win clash against Ireland.
It left the 2024 champions little choice but to break glass and call SOS - in this case, Send Out Suzie.
Many had questioned how New Zealand could leave the leading run-scorer in T20I history out of their XI. Suzie Bates' record coming into the tournament of 4720 runs in 183 T20Is is unmatched by any woman or man, and she had appeared in every one of New Zealand's matches at every previous Women's T20 World Cup.
But in the lead-up to the tournament, it had become clear that Bates had dropped down the pecking order as New Zealand looked towards a future beyond their former captain. Since their 2024 triumph until the start of this year's tournament, Bates had scored 136 runs in eight T20I innings, with a best of 47. In 2026, she had batted just twice in six matches, bowled for 1 off 2 balls against South Africa in Hamilton, batting at No. 8, and a painful 3 off 11 opening the batting against England in Hove last month.
It's probably fair to say her best days are behind her, but the question was whether she would even get a farewell match before heading into international retirement. Devine's illness forced the matter, and Bates was ready to answer the call. But even then, she was made to wait.
After being put in to bat by Ireland, New Zealand's innings couldn't have got off to a worse start. Georgia Plimmer was caught at mid-off on the last ball of the first over before Izzy Gaze, Bates' replacement at the top, was cleaned up by Orla Prendergast. Maddy Green soon followed them back, leaving New Zealand reeling at 10 for 3.
Panic stations for New Zealand? Time for Bates? Not yet. How about 48 for 4, when Melie Kerr was caught at deep midwicket? No, still not yet.
In fact, New Zealand waited until 110 for 5 to call on Bates, who entered the fray with just 20 balls remaining. It was the first time in her 19-year T20I career she was batting at seven. But despite the unfamiliar role, 183 T20Is is plenty of experience to draw on.
New Zealand were stumbling towards a sub-par total, and it wasn't an explosive start to Bates' cameo. Ireland were excellent in the field and stopped the 2024 champions from scoring a boundary from the end of the 13th over until Bates found the rope with a reverse pull over short third off Arlene Kelly on the final ball of the 19th - a gap of 36 balls.
The best was yet to come, though. On the final ball of the innings, she exposed her stumps and played a tumbling pull shot that flew over the boundary for the first six of the match. It was her first six in T20Is since July 2024.
Bates' cameo of 19* off 12 balls had lifted New Zealand to what felt like a solid but unremarkable total of 140 - West Indies and Sri Lanka had both chased higher scores against New Zealand on this very ground.
New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer had told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the Ireland game that Gaze had been promoted to the top of the order "to help generate a high strike rate in the powerplay". It's impossible to know whether Bates had taken this to heart, but whatever the case, her contribution with the bat was invaluable, that last-ball six perhaps proving the difference in a narrow four-run victory.
Bates' contribution for the night wasn't done, though. Prendergast and Gaby Lewis put on a century partnership that put Ireland in sight of a famous upset and a first win in 20 matches at the women's T20 World Cup. New Zealand may be undergoing a changing of the guard, with Bates, Devine and Lea Tahuhu all hanging up their boots at the end of the tournament, but in pressure situations, Bates and Kerr proved experience could prove key.
Kerr had failed to take a wicket in New Zealand's first two matches of the tournament, and was wicketless from her first 3.3 overs until she dismissed Prendergast for 59, ending the 110-run stand. Rebecca Stokell followed two balls later, and momentum was back with New Zealand: 25 runs were needed off the final two overs.
And Bates helped deliver the final blow to Ireland's hopes of adding Southampton 2026 to the likes of Kingston 2007 and Bengaluru 2011 in Irish cricket folklore.
Fielding had been a major problem for New Zealand in their opening two games of the tournament. Six catches were put down against West Indies and three against Sri Lanka. But with Bates back in the XI, they had the player with the most catches in women's T20Is, and it was her 97th catch in the format that sealed the fate of Lewis - caught at cover for 58 with eight balls of the innings to go.
Devine had bowled the final over in the defeats against West Indies and Sri Lanka, and Bates stepped right into her shoes to defend 15 off the final six balls. Bates gave Louise Little and Leah Paul little pace to work with, the batters failing to find the boundary. New Zealand's campaign was belatedly up and running, and while Bates may be in the final moments of her career, she proved she's still a player who thrives on the big stage.
"She loves big moments," captain Kerr said of Bates at the post-match presentation. "She did it in the semi-final at the last T20 World Cup, and she's in the nets every day training for her bowling and she's training her death overs. She's been in situations before when she's done that, and we've lost the game, but I really backed her, and know how much she's, how much work she's put into that."
Melie's sister Jess shared the sentiment, praising Bates' ability to come in from the fringes and make a major impact: "I'm really stoked for Suzie. It probably speaks volumes of her as a human. I've sort of been a non-player too, so to feel like you've probably only got one opportunity and the way she went about it with bat and fielding and even with the ball at the end. She's a calm head. She's such a great of our game."
New Zealand still face an uphill battle to reach the semi-finals, with wins in their remaining two fixtures against Scotland and hosts England almost a non-negotiable. Ireland are the only side in Group 2 without a win, and results so far have shown that no fixture can be taken for granted.
"There's still mathematically an opportunity," the New Zealand captain said. "[If] we win three games of cricket, and we obviously will need other results to go our way. But as we've seen in this tournament, any team can beat anyone.
"I think the standard of this pool, especially the way Ireland and Scotland have played, having not played as many World Cups as other teams, they've been brilliant, and there's no reason why any team can't beat anyone."
Whether this Friday night in Southampton ends up being Bates' international swansong remains to be seen. But for two more games, at least, New Zealand have been reminded they can dial S for Suzie.