Blair Tickner produced a decisive five-wicket haul as New Zealand wrapped up a thorough win over Ireland by an innings and 79 runs at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on Friday, May 29. Put in to bat again after following on, Ireland were dismissed for 232 on the third day, handing the visitors a comfortable finish.
Third-day turning points
- Ireland resumed in the morning on 65 without further loss, still needing to build a platform after the first innings deficit.
- Nathan Smith struck early, removing Thomas Mayes for 5 to put Ireland under pressure straight away.
- A few overs later, Tickner added to the damage by getting rid of Harry Tector for 2, further tightening New Zealand’s grip.
- Stephen Doheny then offered the resistance Ireland required, showing a mix of composure and willingness to attack shorter deliveries.
- Just as Ireland looked to settle, Curtis Campher was struck on his left glove by a sharply rising ball from Ben Sears, forcing him to retire hurt soon after Doheny had moved past his half-century.
- Doheny’s innings also came to an end shortly after, when a delivery from Tickner climbed onto him and was caught safely by Devon Conway in the gully area with a diving effort.
- With wickets falling, Lorcan Tucker shifted gears aggressively, smashing a burst of boundaries before rain curtailed play and abruptly ended the opening session.
- After Lunch, New Zealand maintained their short-ball approach, and it again paid off when Andy McBrine went for a short delivery that was begging to be hit and was dismissed via an upper-cut to the backward point fielder.
- Tucker continued to find momentum and was joined in the attack by Mark Adair, with both batters pushing the innings forward.
- Tucker brought up his half-century in 69 balls, but his stay ended when he top-edged a hook off Nathan Smith.
- Adair carried on with the same intent, striking seven fours and finishing unbeaten on 44.
- Liam McCarthy and Ruben Wilson provided brief support, but their resistance proved short-lived, with both dismissed before the Tea break.
For much of the contest, the contest never truly opened up. New Zealand had already asserted themselves early, reducing Ireland to 86 for 4 on the first day. From that point onward, the hosts struggled across departments as the visitors dominated both pace and pressure.
Reflecting on the mismatch, Ireland captain said: “It’s tough, really tough for our guys to come up against a top team and put in a really good performance. They were relentless in everything they did. We had a bit of a sniff on that first morning, but they showed that once you get through that tricky period, you can get big scores and big hundreds.” He also noted that the experience should stand his players in good stead going forward.
Brief scores
- Ireland: 179 (Andy McBrine 73*, Nathan Smith 6-40) and 232 (Stephen Doheny 57, Lorcan Tucker 50, Mark Adair 44*; Blair Tickner 5-76)
- New Zealand: 490/8 declared (Tom Blundell 186, Rachin Ravindra 121, Dean Foxcroft 98; Mark Adair 3-66)
Result: New Zealand won by an innings and 79 runs.
