South Africa Women’s maiden tour to Zimbabwe to feature five T20Is – The Island

Half-centuries from Stephen Doheny and Lorcan Tucker and a cameo from Mark Adair delayed the inevitable for Ireland before they slid to defeat by an innings and 79 runs against New Zealand.  They had begun the third day on 65 for 2, following on with two more days to play and trailing by 246 runs.

They were bowled out for 232 in their second innings, with Blair Tickner hastening New Zealand’s march to victory with his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Temperatures finally dropped below 20 degrees Celsius in Belfast – signalling respite from a heat wave in the region – and rain brought an early end to the first session. By then, Ireland had been reduced to 131 for 5.

Nathan Smith – who had taken a six-for in the first innings – plucked out nightwatcher Thomas Mayes within the first five overs of play. A full inswinger had Mayes edging to second slip. At the other end, opener Doheny, who resumed on 26, was nimble-footed in response to early swing.

Despite the overhead clouds, Smith from one end and Tickner from the other bowled with a short-ball plan in mind. The strategy paid dividends when Tickner picked up his third wicket of the innings, in the 26th over: he angled a bouncer into Harry Tector’s shoulders, and he ducked into the ball, which pinged off his bat handle to second slip.

More concerning for Ireland was Curtis Campher retiring hurt on 4, another consequence of a bouncer. He had been struggling against the short deliveries when one reared up and pinged his left hand. He had to walk off for scans, and Ireland played with one batter down thereafter.

Doheny was the third consecutive batter to walk off after facing a snorter; he fended at a Tickner short delivery, and gloved it to gully shortly before the end of the first session.

When New Zealand walked out for the second session, the clouds had partially cleared, and the Dukes ball’s swing had dissipated. New Zealand shuffled their fielders out to pack the off side, and Lorcan Tucker took full toll of deliveries outside off.

Tucker pinged drives away from his body, and evaded the short balls that came his way, bringing up his fifty off 69 deliveries. However, any hopes of an Ireland rearguard disappeared when he fell off his next ball. He swung across the line at another bouncer and miscued it over the keeper’s head, straight to Daryl Mitchell running in from the slips.

Adair, slotting in at No. 9, played with panache thereafter. He had his own solution to Tickner and Zak Foulkes directing bouncers at his grille: he kept shuffling into the leg side to make room for cross-batted swats, over the relatively vacant midwicket boundary.

Eventually, this run-scoring option slowed when the bowlers either angled their bouncers into the leg side, or aimed yorkers at his feet. He still raced away to an unbeaten 44 off 47 – Ireland’s quickest knock in this Test by far.

The game came to a belated end when Reuben Wilson was the last batter out, stuck in his crease as he wafted at a delivery outside off, and edged it to the keeper. Tickner completed his five-for with this wicket, and New Zealand seald a dominant win with four sessions to spare.

They now head to London, where they will prepare to face England in a three-Test contest. Ireland, meanwhile, wait for India to arrive on their shores at the end of June for a T20I series.

Brief scores:
New Zealand 490 for 8 dec  in 119 overs (Rachin Ravindra 121, Tom Blundell 186,  Dean Foxcroft 98; Mark  Adair 3-66) beat Ireland 179 in 45 overs (Andy McBrine 73*, Mark Adair 40; Nathan  Smith 6-40, Ben Sears 2-27) and (f/o) 232 in 63.2 overs (Stephen Doheny 57, Lorcan Tucker 50, Mark Adair 44*; Nathan Smith 2-53, Blair Tickner 5-76) by an innings and 79 runs

[Cricinfo]