179/10 (45.0)
CR : 3.98
490/8 (119.0)
CR : 4.12
New Zealand won by an innings and 79 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Tom Blundell
186(292)
Over 64
Ireland 232/10
Reuben Wilson4(13)
Mark Adair44(47)
Blair Tickner5-76(17.2)
NZ won by an innings and 79 runs
NZ won by an innings and 79 runs
8:06 PM IST, 3:36 PM LOCAL TIME: “In Test cricket, time reveals character... and over three days, New Zealand’s character shone brighter than Ireland’s resistance.” New Zealand arrived in Belfast looking for preparation ahead of a massive series against England. Did they get it? Absolutely. And then some. They piled up 490/8 declared, dominated with the ball, enforced the follow-on, and eventually crushed Ireland by an innings and 79 runs. Ireland fought in patches through Andy McBrine, Stephen Doheny, Lorcan Tucker, and Mark Adair, but they were always chasing shadows after New Zealand’s giant first-innings total. The visitors controlled every session, every partnership, and almost every key moment. A professional performance. A statement performance. A warning for England, perhaps.
Let's rewind the whole Test by each day.
DAY 1 began with Ireland making early inroads. Tom Latham fell for a duck to Mark Adair at 4/1, and Devon Conway followed at 21/2. Were New Zealand in trouble? Briefly. Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra steadied things with a 64-run third-wicket stand. Drinks arrived with New Zealand at 51/2 in 16 overs, Williamson on 21 and Ravindra on 19. The visitors reached 100 in 29.5 overs and went to lunch at 104/4. Ireland had reasons to smile. Four wickets down. New Zealand were under pressure. But that smile would not last long.
Who changed the day after lunch? Rachin Ravindra and Tom Blundell. Simple answer. Ravindra brought up a classy fifty off 87 balls, and Blundell followed with his own half-century from 81 deliveries. Their fifth-wicket partnership grew and grew. Fifty runs. Then 100. Then 150. Drinks saw New Zealand at 161/4, while tea arrived with the score at 214/4. Ireland kept searching. Kept rotating bowlers. But the pair simply kept batting. Calmly. Methodically. Relentlessly.
The final session of Day 1 belonged entirely to New Zealand. Ravindra reached his century off 175 balls with 10 fours and 3 sixes. Blundell then completed his hundred off 173 deliveries. The fifth-wicket stand crossed 200 runs in 311 balls before Ravindra eventually fell for a magnificent 121. Yet the damage continued. Dean Foxcroft joined Blundell and added another unbeaten 58-run stand by stumps. New Zealand closed Day 1 at 361/5 in 94 overs. Blundell was unbeaten on 142. Foxcroft on 38. Advantage? Not just New Zealand. Complete New Zealand.
DAY 2 started with more Black Caps dominance. Blundell marched to 150 off 256 balls. Foxcroft reached a fluent fifty from 73 deliveries. The sixth-wicket stand crossed 100 and then 150 runs. Drinks came at 431/5 in 111 overs, with Blundell on 179 and Foxcroft on 66. New Zealand moved beyond 450 and eventually declared at 490/8 after 119 overs. Blundell's masterful 186 and Foxcroft's excellent 98, who missed out on a century on debut, were the standout acts. Ireland had spent nearly two days in the field. Now came the toughest challenge.
How did Ireland respond? Not well. Nathan Smith produced a devastating spell. Ireland slumped to 38/6 inside 10 overs. Stephen Doheny departed for a duck. Cade Carmichael made a duck. Curtis Campher made a duck. Lorcan Tucker made a duck. Smith tore through the top order and finished with remarkable figures of 6/40. At lunch, Ireland were only 20/2, and by drinks they had collapsed to 84/6 in 19 overs. The gulf between the sides was becoming painfully clear.
Yet Ireland did find some fight. Andy McBrine and Mark Adair refused to surrender. Their seventh-wicket partnership added exactly 116 runs and carried Ireland from 38/6 to 154/7. McBrine reached a gritty fifty from 64 balls and eventually finished unbeaten on 73. Adair contributed a valuable 40. Tea arrived at 139/6, but New Zealand wrapped things up soon after for 179. Trailing by 311 runs, Ireland were forced to follow on. By stumps, they had reached 65/2 in 16 overs, with Stephen Doheny unbeaten on 36. Survival, at least, had begun.
DAY 3 began with Ireland trying to stretch the contest. Doheny completed a determined fifty from 96 balls and guided Ireland to 88/4 by drinks. But there was another setback. Curtis Campher, who had been batting cautiously, suffered a blow to his right hand and had to retire hurt on 4 at 88/4. Was that the turning point? It certainly didn't help Ireland's hopes. Rain then interrupted play with Ireland on 131/5, adding another layer of uncertainty to the day.
After lunch, Lorcan Tucker and Andy McBrine added useful runs. Tucker reached a fighting fifty from 69 deliveries, while Ireland crossed 150 in 49.1 overs and 200 in 57.5 overs. McBrine's dismissal for 13 ended a handy 46-run seventh-wicket stand with Tucker. But the lower order kept swinging. Mark Adair was particularly impressive. Aggressive. Positive. Unafraid. His unbeaten 44 from 47 balls gave Ireland a late spark, while Liam McCarthy chipped in with 11 during a rapid 52-run ninth-wicket stand.
Could Ireland make New Zealand bat again? Not quite. Blair Tickner made sure of that. The fast bowler struck repeatedly and finished with outstanding figures of 5/76. Tucker's 50, Doheny's 57, and Adair's unbeaten 44 gave Ireland some respectability, but the total only reached 232. Tickner removed Balbirnie, Carmichael, Tector, Doheny, and Wilson, while Nathan Smith and Zak Foulkes provided support. When Reuben Wilson fell for 4 at 232, the match was over. New Zealand had secured victory by an innings and 79 runs without needing a second innings.
Let's rewind the whole Test by each day.
DAY 1 began with Ireland making early inroads. Tom Latham fell for a duck to Mark Adair at 4/1, and Devon Conway followed at 21/2. Were New Zealand in trouble? Briefly. Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra steadied things with a 64-run third-wicket stand. Drinks arrived with New Zealand at 51/2 in 16 overs, Williamson on 21 and Ravindra on 19. The visitors reached 100 in 29.5 overs and went to lunch at 104/4. Ireland had reasons to smile. Four wickets down. New Zealand were under pressure. But that smile would not last long.
Who changed the day after lunch? Rachin Ravindra and Tom Blundell. Simple answer. Ravindra brought up a classy fifty off 87 balls, and Blundell followed with his own half-century from 81 deliveries. Their fifth-wicket partnership grew and grew. Fifty runs. Then 100. Then 150. Drinks saw New Zealand at 161/4, while tea arrived with the score at 214/4. Ireland kept searching. Kept rotating bowlers. But the pair simply kept batting. Calmly. Methodically. Relentlessly.
The final session of Day 1 belonged entirely to New Zealand. Ravindra reached his century off 175 balls with 10 fours and 3 sixes. Blundell then completed his hundred off 173 deliveries. The fifth-wicket stand crossed 200 runs in 311 balls before Ravindra eventually fell for a magnificent 121. Yet the damage continued. Dean Foxcroft joined Blundell and added another unbeaten 58-run stand by stumps. New Zealand closed Day 1 at 361/5 in 94 overs. Blundell was unbeaten on 142. Foxcroft on 38. Advantage? Not just New Zealand. Complete New Zealand.
DAY 2 started with more Black Caps dominance. Blundell marched to 150 off 256 balls. Foxcroft reached a fluent fifty from 73 deliveries. The sixth-wicket stand crossed 100 and then 150 runs. Drinks came at 431/5 in 111 overs, with Blundell on 179 and Foxcroft on 66. New Zealand moved beyond 450 and eventually declared at 490/8 after 119 overs. Blundell's masterful 186 and Foxcroft's excellent 98, who missed out on a century on debut, were the standout acts. Ireland had spent nearly two days in the field. Now came the toughest challenge.
How did Ireland respond? Not well. Nathan Smith produced a devastating spell. Ireland slumped to 38/6 inside 10 overs. Stephen Doheny departed for a duck. Cade Carmichael made a duck. Curtis Campher made a duck. Lorcan Tucker made a duck. Smith tore through the top order and finished with remarkable figures of 6/40. At lunch, Ireland were only 20/2, and by drinks they had collapsed to 84/6 in 19 overs. The gulf between the sides was becoming painfully clear.
Yet Ireland did find some fight. Andy McBrine and Mark Adair refused to surrender. Their seventh-wicket partnership added exactly 116 runs and carried Ireland from 38/6 to 154/7. McBrine reached a gritty fifty from 64 balls and eventually finished unbeaten on 73. Adair contributed a valuable 40. Tea arrived at 139/6, but New Zealand wrapped things up soon after for 179. Trailing by 311 runs, Ireland were forced to follow on. By stumps, they had reached 65/2 in 16 overs, with Stephen Doheny unbeaten on 36. Survival, at least, had begun.
DAY 3 began with Ireland trying to stretch the contest. Doheny completed a determined fifty from 96 balls and guided Ireland to 88/4 by drinks. But there was another setback. Curtis Campher, who had been batting cautiously, suffered a blow to his right hand and had to retire hurt on 4 at 88/4. Was that the turning point? It certainly didn't help Ireland's hopes. Rain then interrupted play with Ireland on 131/5, adding another layer of uncertainty to the day.
After lunch, Lorcan Tucker and Andy McBrine added useful runs. Tucker reached a fighting fifty from 69 deliveries, while Ireland crossed 150 in 49.1 overs and 200 in 57.5 overs. McBrine's dismissal for 13 ended a handy 46-run seventh-wicket stand with Tucker. But the lower order kept swinging. Mark Adair was particularly impressive. Aggressive. Positive. Unafraid. His unbeaten 44 from 47 balls gave Ireland a late spark, while Liam McCarthy chipped in with 11 during a rapid 52-run ninth-wicket stand.
Could Ireland make New Zealand bat again? Not quite. Blair Tickner made sure of that. The fast bowler struck repeatedly and finished with outstanding figures of 5/76. Tucker's 50, Doheny's 57, and Adair's unbeaten 44 gave Ireland some respectability, but the total only reached 232. Tickner removed Balbirnie, Carmichael, Tector, Doheny, and Wilson, while Nathan Smith and Zak Foulkes provided support. When Reuben Wilson fell for 4 at 232, the match was over. New Zealand had secured victory by an innings and 79 runs without needing a second innings.
Player of the Match: Tom Blundell
Tom Blundell (Player of the Match): [on the innings] It was an enjoyable innings. I haven't batted in the middle for a while now and it was nice to spend a bit of time there and the partnership with Rachin was very pleasing.
[on the partnership] It was just patience all around, it wasn't the easiest wicket to bat on. It was all about working partnerships and we had a couple along the way which was great and pretty difficult at times.
[on aggression against McBrine] I thought he bowled really well. Hit a nice length. There wasn't much spin in the wicket but I was able to bring out the reverse sweep and it got me a lot of runs.
[on Foxcroft] Great for Foxy on debut. To come so close, he probably deserved it but I'm sure he would take a lot of confidence.
[on the England tour] It's been fantastic preparation. The weather was great and played a bit of gold along the way which has been nice. It's been hell of a time here and this is great prep for what's to come."
[on the partnership] It was just patience all around, it wasn't the easiest wicket to bat on. It was all about working partnerships and we had a couple along the way which was great and pretty difficult at times.
[on aggression against McBrine] I thought he bowled really well. Hit a nice length. There wasn't much spin in the wicket but I was able to bring out the reverse sweep and it got me a lot of runs.
[on Foxcroft] Great for Foxy on debut. To come so close, he probably deserved it but I'm sure he would take a lot of confidence.
[on the England tour] It's been fantastic preparation. The weather was great and played a bit of gold along the way which has been nice. It's been hell of a time here and this is great prep for what's to come."
Andrew Balbirnie (Ireland Captain): (On New Zealand’s performance and the challenge of playing Test cricket against them) "New Zealand are a very good side. We expected them to be strong, and they showed exactly why throughout the match. It’s tough for our players to come in and immediately produce a top performance against a team of that quality. They were relentless in everything they did. We had a little opportunity on the first morning, but once they got through that difficult period, they posted big scores and big hundreds. Then with the new ball, they really put us under pressure, and from there we were always trying to catch up.
(On the decision to bowl first after winning the toss) No, I wouldn’t change the decision. I wasn’t in two minds about it at all. I was happy to bowl first. The start we got was exactly what we were looking for. We created opportunities and put them under pressure. I had a chance at the slip that I couldn’t hold onto, and that could have changed the story of the game. Looking back, I would still make the same decision. The disappointment is that we weren’t able to capitalize on the strong start we created.
(On the three debutants and their performances) I’m really proud of all three debutants. Having their families here and seeing them experience Test cricket for the first time was special. Reuben is only 19 years old and made his first-class debut just last week. He spent a long day in the field and then came out to open the batting for us. I thought he handled himself really well. All of our seamers performed admirably. The challenge is that they don’t have a lot of first-class cricket to go back to for experience, but now they’ve been exposed to Test cricket and international cricket, and hopefully they’ll benefit from that moving forward.
(On Ireland’s struggles at the top of the order in Test cricket) I think it comes down to facing high-quality new-ball bowling. It’s not something we get to do regularly enough. The numbers show that clearly. It’s difficult, and our top order has found it challenging. The middle order has shown that once the ball gets softer and conditions become easier, there are runs to be scored. Unfortunately, our top order hasn’t been able to consistently get through that tough early period, but we’ll keep working at it, and hopefully the rewards will come. If our top order can start producing runs consistently, I genuinely believe we can post some very big totals because our middle order has been excellent for us. Players like Steph, McBrine, Tucker, and Mark Adair have repeatedly gotten us out of difficult situations. They’ve been extremely consistent. As a top-order group, we need to improve and make sure those guys are coming in when we’re ahead of the game rather than having to rescue us.
(On the future of Test cricket in Ireland) I’ve always been a big advocate for Test cricket. It has been a huge part of my career, and I’ve been involved since Ireland’s very first Test match. Playing Test cricket means a lot to all of us. At the same time, we need a stronger structure beneath the national team so that players can arrive in Test cricket with confidence and experience. We shouldn’t be discovering players for the first time at the highest level. Hopefully, in the future, that pathway will become stronger because these players love playing Test cricket, they love wearing the whites and representing Ireland, and we want to keep improving in this format.
(On New Zealand and their upcoming Test series against England) I’m really looking forward to watching that series as a cricket fan. They are a formidable side under Tom Latham. They’re a great group of people who play the game in the right spirit, but when they have the bat or ball in hand, they show exactly how Test cricket should be played. We can learn a huge amount from the last three days. Hopefully, those lessons help us improve and continue moving Irish Test cricket forward."
(On the decision to bowl first after winning the toss) No, I wouldn’t change the decision. I wasn’t in two minds about it at all. I was happy to bowl first. The start we got was exactly what we were looking for. We created opportunities and put them under pressure. I had a chance at the slip that I couldn’t hold onto, and that could have changed the story of the game. Looking back, I would still make the same decision. The disappointment is that we weren’t able to capitalize on the strong start we created.
(On the three debutants and their performances) I’m really proud of all three debutants. Having their families here and seeing them experience Test cricket for the first time was special. Reuben is only 19 years old and made his first-class debut just last week. He spent a long day in the field and then came out to open the batting for us. I thought he handled himself really well. All of our seamers performed admirably. The challenge is that they don’t have a lot of first-class cricket to go back to for experience, but now they’ve been exposed to Test cricket and international cricket, and hopefully they’ll benefit from that moving forward.
(On Ireland’s struggles at the top of the order in Test cricket) I think it comes down to facing high-quality new-ball bowling. It’s not something we get to do regularly enough. The numbers show that clearly. It’s difficult, and our top order has found it challenging. The middle order has shown that once the ball gets softer and conditions become easier, there are runs to be scored. Unfortunately, our top order hasn’t been able to consistently get through that tough early period, but we’ll keep working at it, and hopefully the rewards will come. If our top order can start producing runs consistently, I genuinely believe we can post some very big totals because our middle order has been excellent for us. Players like Steph, McBrine, Tucker, and Mark Adair have repeatedly gotten us out of difficult situations. They’ve been extremely consistent. As a top-order group, we need to improve and make sure those guys are coming in when we’re ahead of the game rather than having to rescue us.
(On the future of Test cricket in Ireland) I’ve always been a big advocate for Test cricket. It has been a huge part of my career, and I’ve been involved since Ireland’s very first Test match. Playing Test cricket means a lot to all of us. At the same time, we need a stronger structure beneath the national team so that players can arrive in Test cricket with confidence and experience. We shouldn’t be discovering players for the first time at the highest level. Hopefully, in the future, that pathway will become stronger because these players love playing Test cricket, they love wearing the whites and representing Ireland, and we want to keep improving in this format.
(On New Zealand and their upcoming Test series against England) I’m really looking forward to watching that series as a cricket fan. They are a formidable side under Tom Latham. They’re a great group of people who play the game in the right spirit, but when they have the bat or ball in hand, they show exactly how Test cricket should be played. We can learn a huge amount from the last three days. Hopefully, those lessons help us improve and continue moving Irish Test cricket forward."
Tom Latham (New Zealand Captain): "[on the match] We were put under a little bit of pressure at times which is what you want but the way the guys were able to come out especially to absorb that pressure and to be able to put it back on them with a couple of great partnerships was crucial and with the ball we had fantastic periods where we weren't at our best but we managed to bring things back and got the rewards which was great.
[on the slightly inexperienced bowling attack] They did fantastic. We bowled fantastically well with that new ball. Nathan Smith on top setting the tone for us. The ball got softer, the wicket got flatter, that's where we were challenged a little. The work that we did post tea yesterday to come out and kind of be relentless on areas and ask questions for long periods of time, we were fantastic and we haven't played Test cricket for a period of time now and for us it's trying to find that rhythm and tempo that we play at and we managed to find that.
[on this Test being preparation for the upcoming England series] It's been fantastic. We acknowledge it's a Test match and that was our focus and we wanted to come here and play our brand of cricket as best we can and we know what we've got coming up in a couple of weeks. To be put under pressure at times, to have time on our feet, guys to get some time in the middle is really important and hopefully it sets up well.
[on the batting effort] We were under pressure. The way Ireland bowled with that new ball was fantastic. The surface set off a little bit when the ball was hard. The new ball did offer a bit of assistance. We need to put the pressure back on the opposition and Rachin and Tom did fantastically well to be under pressure, absorb that and when they needed to score that they scored, to do that for the amount of time they did to put on over 200. Dean on debut sat there for a long time. To get another big partnership was awesome. Great to see some guys that have put their hands up.
[on confidence] We love coming over this part of the world and playing Test cricket. It's a really special place to play. Lot of history. We've been here a lot recently. We've got a really good opportunity to come here and put our best foot forward to play our brand of cricket and if we do those things right then we will get ourselves a chance. Awesome Test to be a part of here in Belfast and really looking forward to what's coming up next."
[on the slightly inexperienced bowling attack] They did fantastic. We bowled fantastically well with that new ball. Nathan Smith on top setting the tone for us. The ball got softer, the wicket got flatter, that's where we were challenged a little. The work that we did post tea yesterday to come out and kind of be relentless on areas and ask questions for long periods of time, we were fantastic and we haven't played Test cricket for a period of time now and for us it's trying to find that rhythm and tempo that we play at and we managed to find that.
[on this Test being preparation for the upcoming England series] It's been fantastic. We acknowledge it's a Test match and that was our focus and we wanted to come here and play our brand of cricket as best we can and we know what we've got coming up in a couple of weeks. To be put under pressure at times, to have time on our feet, guys to get some time in the middle is really important and hopefully it sets up well.
[on the batting effort] We were under pressure. The way Ireland bowled with that new ball was fantastic. The surface set off a little bit when the ball was hard. The new ball did offer a bit of assistance. We need to put the pressure back on the opposition and Rachin and Tom did fantastically well to be under pressure, absorb that and when they needed to score that they scored, to do that for the amount of time they did to put on over 200. Dean on debut sat there for a long time. To get another big partnership was awesome. Great to see some guys that have put their hands up.
[on confidence] We love coming over this part of the world and playing Test cricket. It's a really special place to play. Lot of history. We've been here a lot recently. We've got a really good opportunity to come here and put our best foot forward to play our brand of cricket and if we do those things right then we will get ourselves a chance. Awesome Test to be a part of here in Belfast and really looking forward to what's coming up next."
Latham collects the series winning trophy and poses with the New Zealand team for the official pictures!
This one-off Test ultimately showcased exactly what New Zealand wanted before their England assignment. Ravindra's 121. Blundell's magnificent 186. Foxcroft's 98. Smith's six-for. Tickner's five-for. Contributions everywhere. Ireland showed heart through McBrine, Doheny, Tucker, and Adair, but they simply could not match New Zealand's quality across three days. The visitors leave Belfast battle-ready and full of confidence. Ireland leave with lessons. Plenty of them. Test cricket can be a harsh teacher. New Zealand, meanwhile, passed every examination with distinction.
And finally, the celebrations belonged to the visitors. Who held the trophy aloft? Tom Latham, the captain who saw his side dominate virtually every phase of this one-off Test. As the presentation concluded, Latham received the trophy and gathered his players and support staff behind the WINNERS board for the traditional team photograph. Smiles everywhere. Arms around shoulders. A fitting image after three days of near-flawless cricket. Every department contributed. One final pose. One final cheer. And one clear message to the rest of the cricketing world - the Black Caps look ready for the challenges ahead.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Ninaad Dixit, and scorer Rajesh Pal. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!
And finally, the celebrations belonged to the visitors. Who held the trophy aloft? Tom Latham, the captain who saw his side dominate virtually every phase of this one-off Test. As the presentation concluded, Latham received the trophy and gathered his players and support staff behind the WINNERS board for the traditional team photograph. Smiles everywhere. Arms around shoulders. A fitting image after three days of near-flawless cricket. Every department contributed. One final pose. One final cheer. And one clear message to the rest of the cricketing world - the Black Caps look ready for the challenges ahead.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Ninaad Dixit, and scorer Rajesh Pal. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!