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BELFAST – New Zealand rallied from the loss of four early wickets to claim the first Men’s T20I against Ireland by 31 runs, with a Glenn Phillips half-century and Lockie Ferguson four-for proving crucial.
Ireland won the toss and elected to bowl, beginning strongly before New Zealand rallied to post what would prove to be a match-winning total. At first, it seemed as if Martin Guptill would carry on his excellent form, with the opener, who made a hundred in the final ODI, smashing the first ball of each of the first three overs for four.

However, Ireland hit back, Finn Allen hitting Josh Little straight to cover, and the dismissal of Guptill, holing out to long-off off Mark Adair, followed soon after. Ireland kept the pressure up, Dane Cleaver edging a pull shot off Little behind, and thought they had their fourth when Little claimed a low catch diving forward off Phillips, only for the TV umpire to rule that the ball had bounced just before entering Little’s grasp. Ireland would strike one ball later, Daryl Mitchell top-edging Curtis Campher to the keeper, but Phillips would ensure he made the most of his life.

From 54-4, the Black Caps recovered to post 173-8, with Phillips’ knock the key contribution, and James Neesham and Michael Bracewell also playing a pair of important hands.

Phillips was content to play the anchor role at first, with Neesham taking on the bulk of the scoring. The No.6 thumped Barry McCarthy into the sightscreen for the first six of the contest, before nailing a pair of sweeps, one conventional and firmly struck, and the second reverse and deft, for consecutive boundaries off George Dockrell.

The off-spinner struck back, inducing an outside-edge through to the keeper, but that was the cue for Phillips to take over. On 27 off 30 at the time of Neesham’s dismissal, he nailed a pair of pull shots in the next over, off Little, to keep New Zealand going.

A pair of quiet overs followed, and at the end of the 17th over Ireland had restricted New Zealand to 129-5. But a late flurry allowed the tourists to push on past 170, a total which would ultimately prove too much for Ireland. Michael Bracewell hit Adair through and then over the leg-side, and while he and Mitchell Santner both fell in Little’s final over, the left-armer completing his four-for, there was no dislodging Phillips.

Having brought up his half-century with a slash through point on the penultimate ball of the penultimate over, he took full toll of Adair’s last over. A yorker was squeezed past the keeper for four before a high full-toss, called a no ball, was hammered square of the wicket. The free hit cost just a couple, but Phillips then sent a slower ball over deep midwicket, with a wide and a single taking the tally for the over to 19 runs.

In reply, Ireland had several batters make starts, but none go on to make a match-defining score; six batters made it to double figures, but Campher’s 29 was the top score.

Andrew Balbirnie was the first to go, scything Jacob Duffy twice over point for four before falling to a spectacular catch from Santner, the New Zealand captain running back from mid-off to cling on as the ball descended over his shoulder.

Ireland continued to attack, Gareth Delany flicking his first ball for four and Paul Stirling registering the first six of the innings off Neesham, pulling the right-arm seamer into the leg-side. Mitchell almost pulled off a special save on the boundary rope, catching and throwing the ball up in the air before attempting to parry the ball back into play, but with his foot just coming into contact with the ground at the crucial moment.

Ferguson’s second over tilted the contest New Zealand’s way, the speedster striking twice with slower balls, Delany bowled through a bat-pad gap, and Stirling carving a short ball to extra cover. With Harry Tector slicing a cut shot to short third man soon after, Ireland had lost three wickets in nine balls and were in danger of collapsing.

However, they kept battling, and didn’t let the asking rate spiral even as wickets fell regularly. Tucker hit his third ball for four to finish the powerplay in style, and while a pair of quiet overs followed, Campher got Ireland moving again with four and six off consecutive Ish Sodhi deliveries. Tucker then edged a short, wide Santner delivery behind, but Dockrell picked up the rate instantly, striking three of his first five balls for four.

With 15 runs coming from the 11th over, Ireland were left needing just over nine an over for the last nine overs, with five wickets still in hand. But another double-strike saw New Zealand surge ahead again, Dockrell pulling Santner to long-on and Campher struck on the toe attempting to reverse-ramp Ferguson.

Adair carried on the fight, cutting and pulling Sodhi for four and edging Santner past the keeper, and with four overs to go, Ireland needed 44, still just about in it.

In a flash, however, the game was over. Neesham prised out McCarthy and Adair, and Ferguson capped off a fine personal display with his fourth wicket, Craig Young gloving down the leg-side to confirm New Zealand’s victory.

MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland Men v New Zealand Men, 1st T20I, Stormont, 18 July 2022

New Zealand 173-8 (20 overs; G Phillips 69*, J Neesham 29*; J Little 4-35)
Ireland 142 (18.2 overs; C Campher 29, M Adair 25; L Ferguson 4-14)

New Zealand won by 31 runs

See full scorecard

Wisden
Glenn Phillips batting v Ireland
No
Connaught