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- Ireland vs New Zealand, Live Score: Rachin Ravindra and Tom Blundell both hit tons in epic 200-run stand
Ireland vs New Zealand, Live Score: Rachin Ravindra and Tom Blundell both hit tons in epic 200-run stand
Match Context & Conditions
This standalone four-day fixture is a landmark occasion for Irish cricket, with Ireland hosting one of the world’s top Test sides in a rare home red-ball encounter. Since Ireland are not part of the World Test Championship cycle, no WTC points are at stake.
The Stormont surface is traditionally known for assisting fast bowlers, especially in the opening session, with plenty of movement off the pitch and through the air. However, warmer temperatures in Belfast over recent days could also bring spinners into the contest as the match progresses.
Team News & Key Players
Ireland
Ireland have been dealt a major setback with experienced batter Paul Stirling ruled out after suffering an injury during a recent four-day warm-up game.
The hosts will rely heavily on Mark Adair to lead the pace attack. Adair comes into the match in excellent form after registering match figures of 6 for 80 in Malahide.
With the bat, wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker remains Ireland’s biggest hope. The right-hander has been one of their most reliable performers in Test cricket, averaging an impressive 43.93 in the format.
New Zealand
New Zealand enter the contest as overwhelming favourites thanks to their experienced Test setup and formidable pace attack.
Captain Tom Latham is on the verge of a milestone, with one more Test victory set to draw him level with Brendon McCullum and Geoff Howarth as New Zealand’s fourth-most successful Test captain.
The Blackcaps will bank on their strong seam unit featuring Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke and Ben Sears to exploit the helpful conditions in Belfast.
Ireland rarely get opportunities to play Test cricket, and hosting a red-ball match at home is an even rarer event. Facing the former world champions will provide added motivation for the hosts as they aim to prove themselves in the longest format of the game.
For New Zealand, this fixture serves as valuable preparation ahead of their upcoming three-match Test series against England. With both sides having played very little red-ball cricket recently, adapting quickly to the conditions will be crucial.
The conditions at Stormont are expected to produce a fascinating battle between bat and ball. Seamers are likely to enjoy assistance early on, but as the game wears on, spin could gradually become a factor as well. Expect a competitive and hard-fought contest over the next four days.
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Four!
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Wide yorker, around off, Tom Blundell jams this out.
- Dean Foxcroft 46 (68)
- Tom Blundell 146 (254)
Reuben Wilson to Dean Foxcroft, Hard length, around off, Dean Foxcroft gets right behind the line of the ball and keeps it out.
Reuben Wilson to Dean Foxcroft, Back of a length, around off, Dean Foxcroft tucks this towards fine leg for a couple.
Reuben Wilson to Dean Foxcroft, Reuben drags his length back and bowls this down the leg side. Dean Foxcroft goes for a flick but misses and gets hit on the front pad.
Reuben Wilson to Dean Foxcroft, Wilson goes full and around off, Dean Foxcroft strides close to the pitch of the ball and blocks this out.
Reuben Wilson to Dean Foxcroft, Good length, on middle and off, Dean Foxcroft pushes this towards mid on with a straight bat.
Reuben Wilson to Dean Foxcroft, Hard length, on off, Dean Foxcroft rocks back and punches this to mid off for no run.
- Tom Blundell 146 (254)
- Dean Foxcroft 44 (62)
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Back of a length, down the leg side. Tom Blundell goes for a flick but misses out. The ball might have brushed the thigh pad of Tom as the keeper caught it and the entire fielding side appealed for a caught behind.
Thomas Mayes to Dean Foxcroft, A big inswinging delivery, full and on middle and off, Dean Foxcroft tucks this through square leg for a single.
Thomas Mayes to Dean Foxcroft, Thomas goes full and into the line of the stumps. Dean looks to punch this down the ground but misses and gets hit on his front pad. A loud appeal from the bowling side but the umpire turns this down. This looked close.
Thomas Mayes to Dean Foxcroft, Back of a length, around off, Dean Foxcroft dabs this towards point.
Thomas Mayes to Dean Foxcroft, Good length, on top of off, Dean Foxcroft defends this off his front foot.
Thomas Mayes to Dean Foxcroft, Right in the channel, around off, Dean Foxcroft strides towards the pitch of the ball and leaves it all alone.
- Tom Blundell 146 (253)
- Dean Foxcroft 43 (57)
Reuben Wilson to Tom Blundell, Hard length, around off, Tom Blundell defends this out.
Reuben Wilson to Dean Foxcroft, Good length, around the pads, Dean Foxcroft nudges this to the right of the fielder at mid-wicket for a single.
Reuben Wilson to Tom Blundell, Short and wide of off, Tom Blundell plays this off his back foot and punches this towards deep point for one.
Reuben Wilson to Tom Blundell, Wilson bends his back again and bowls it back of a length on middle and leg, Tom Blundell hops up on his toes and tucks this towards mid-wicket.
Reuben Wilson to Tom Blundell, In the air but lands safely. Back of a length, around off, Tom Blundell goes for the flick but closes his bat face early. Gets a leading edge that drops to the right of short extra cover for a dot.
Reuben Wilson to Tom Blundell, Hard length, on the pads, Tom Blundell milks this through square leg and hustles back for two.
- Tom Blundell 143 (248)
- Dean Foxcroft 42 (56)
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Short-pitched delivery, on middle and leg, Tom Blundell swives and pulls this towards deep square leg for a single.
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Good length, outside off, harmlessly going away from the batter. Tom Blundell shoulders his arms at it.
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Hard length, on top of off, Tom Blundell dabs this to backward point.
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Yorker, wide of off, Tom Blundell looks to get bat on ball but misses out.
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Full and around off, shaping away from the batter. Tom Blundell gives it a good look and leaves it all alone.
Thomas Mayes to Dean Foxcroft, Hard length, around middle and leg, Dean Foxcroft nudges this through square leg for a single.
- Tom Blundell 142 (243)
- Dean Foxcroft 41 (55)
Reuben Wilson to Tom Blundell, Good length, around the pads, Tom Blundell tucks this towards square leg.
Reuben Wilson to Tom Blundell, Short and around off, Tom Blundell hops up on his toes and pushes this towards covers.
Reuben Wilson to Tom Blundell, Back of a length, around off, Tom Blundell blocks this underneath his eyeline.
Reuben Wilson to Tom Blundell, Good length, on top of off, Tom gets right behind the line of the ball and keeps it out.
Reuben Wilson to Dean Foxcroft, Reuben goes even fuller but wide outside off, Dean Foxcroft leans onto the pitch of the ball and drives this through covers for three runs.
Reuben Wilson to Dean Foxcroft, Full and on off, Dean Foxcroft defends this out.
Reuben Wilson will be operating from the other end.
- Tom Blundell 142 (239)
- Dean Foxcroft 38 (53)
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Back of a length, wide of off, Tom Blundell once again offers nothing at it. A maiden to start Day 2.
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Hard length, around off, Tom Blundell leaves it.
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Mayes drags his length back, bowls it around off, Tom Blundell offers nothing at it.
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Thomas goes full again, wide of off, Tom Blundell doesn't poke at it.
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Good length, around off, Tom Blundell presses towards the pitch of the ball and shoulders his arms at it.
Thomas Mayes to Tom Blundell, Full and wide outside off, shaping away from the batter. Tom Blundell leaves it all alone.
We are all set for the action to begin on Day 2. Tom Blundell and Dean Foxcroft are ready to resume their innings. Thomas Mayes will be bowling the first over on Day 2.
NZ batter Tom Blundell is up for a chat - Tom Blundell says that he is very pleased with how he and Rachin Ravindra worked together to build a strong partnership after the team fell to 86 for 4. Tom noted that the opposing team bowled exceptionally well with the new ball on a challenging wicket that made scoring difficult and required constant focus. Additionally, Blundell adds that he enjoyed batting alongside debutant Dean Foxcroft.
PITCH REPORT ON DAY 2 - Katey Martin is pitchside. Katey mentions that a few green patches have dried up and that will give the bowlers a bit more if they hit the right areas. Katey adds that this will generally be the best day to bat on, as the ball will come nicely onto the bat and the deck will show a lot more wear and tear going ahead.
What to expect today? The equation is simple for both teams as we head into the morning session. For New Zealand, Blundell and Foxcroft will look to bat Ireland out of the game and push past the 500-mark. For Ireland, the new ball is just two overs old, and skipper Andrew Balbirnie will be desperate for early wickets to wrap up the tail. Grab your coffee, settle in, because the first hour promises to be absolute gold!
The Kiwis fought back - But Test cricket is all about resilience, and New Zealand found it in abundance. Rachin Ravindra and Tom Blundell stitched together a massive, game-changing 217-run partnership. Ravindra rode his luck after being dropped once to smash a commanding 121 before part-timer Harry Tector finally got him. Meanwhile, Blundell played an absolute masterclass, finishing the day unbeaten on a stellar 142. Alongside him is debutant Dean Foxcroft, looking solid on 38, pushing the Kiwis to a commanding 361/5.
The Irish started well yesterday - Day 1 belonged to the storylines. Ireland won the toss, opted to bowl, and Mark Adair gave them a dream start by removing Tom Latham for a duck on just the second ball of the match. Devon Conway fell shortly after, and the debutant Liam McCarthy trapped the legendary Kane Williamson for 36. New Zealand were absolutely reeling at 86/4. Adair was the star with the ball, finishing the day with brilliant figures of 3/66.
Welcome to Day 2! Welcome back to our coverage of this fascinating, one-off Test match. After a gripping opening day, the players are warming up, the pitch looks pristine, and we are all set for another action-packed day of traditional red-ball cricket.
... DAY 2, SESSION 1 ...
See you tomorrow - That brings an end to all the exciting action from Day 1. The visitors will resume their innings tomorrow at a strong score of 361 for 5. Make sure to tune back in for the start of Day 2 on 28th May 2026 at 10 am GMT. Cheers for now!
Rachin Ravindra of NZ is up for a chat - Rachin says that it felt nice to play here in Ireland in front of an amazing crowd. Rachin adds that Ireland were excellent to begin with, as they lost quick wickets at the start, but they were lucky to recover from that. Rachin Ravindra adds that the wicket got better as the day went on, and he is happy with how things ended. Rachin also reckons that Dean Foxcroft has looked brilliant on his debut as well and he concludes by saying that the crowd is great here and everyone loves this game.
Ireland finally broke the stand - Ireland finally got the breakthrough late in the day when Harry Tector dismissed Ravindra, breaking the epic stand. Adair was the star with the ball, picking up three wickets, but the damage was already done. Blundell remained absolutely immovable, finding a reliable partner in Dean Foxcroft. Together, they added an unbeaten 58 runs before Stumps. Blundell walked off to a standing ovation on 142 not out, with Foxcroft on 38 not out, locking in a dominant position for the Kiwis.
Ireland will miss experienced batter Paul Stirling due to injury, while Mark Adair leads the pace attack after strong recent form. Lorcan Tucker remains their key batter in the middle order.
New Zealand enter as heavy favourites with a powerful pace attack featuring Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke and Ben Sears. Captain Tom Latham is also close to becoming one of New Zealand’s most successful Test captains.
Although no World Test Championship points are at stake, the match is significant for Ireland, who rarely get opportunities to play and host Test cricket. For New Zealand, it serves as preparation for their upcoming Test series against England.
