Blair Tickner takes five as Black Caps beat Ireland by an innings in test

Saturday, 30 May 2026

One-off test, Belfast: New Zealand 490-8 dec beat Ireland 179 and 232 (Stephen Doheny 57, Lorcan Tucker 50, Mark Adair 44 not out; Blair Tickner 5-76) by an innings and 79 runs. Click here for full scorecard.

Winning a test match was far more important to the Black Caps than focusing on preparing for a test series.

While New Zealand's three leading quick bowlers didn't play against Ireland, there were no on-field signs that the visitors to Belfast had England on their minds as they demolished the home side by an innings and 79 runs.

Resuming in their second innings follow-on at 65-2, still needing another 246 runs to make New Zealand bat again, Ireland were dismissed for 232 on Saturday morning (NZ time).

Blair Tickner captured 5-76 while Nathan Smith added two scalps to his first-innings return of 6-40 to end with match figures of 8-93.

Opener Stephen Doheny made his maiden test half-century in the first test between the two nations in top-scoring with 57, Lorcan Tucker also made a fifty, while Mark Adair finished 44 not out.

Curtis Campher made a teary departure in the first session after being struck on the left hand by a delivery from NZ pace bowler Ben Sears, and did not return to bat.

Captain Tom Latham enforcing the follow-on on day two of the four-day match illustrated that a victory - and in quick time - was the priority, rather than giving himself and other batters a second opportunity to make runs and build confidence ahead of the first of three tests versus England, starting at Lord's next Thursday.

Now Latham and coach Rob Walter can turn their full attention to London, with the three matches against Brendon McCullum's under-pressure side part of the World Test Championship campaign which forms the major focus of the national side over the next nine months.

Major interest resides in seeing if Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke and Kyle Jamieson will be ready for selection for the first test. Henry’s low-grade hamstring strain ruled him out of the Belfast encounter, while the latter duo are both itching for a return to test cricket after back stress fractures, and spent recent days away from the squad, training in England.

Batting allrounder Glenn Phillips may not be available for selection for the first test, with his Gujarat Titans side winning a place in the Indian Premier League final to be played on Monday morning (NZ time).