Tri-series, Ireland v New Zealand, 2nd ODI Review: Niall O'Brien's ton goes in vain as Irish spirit falls short against Kiwis

After a washout at The Village in the tri-series opener between Bangladesh and Ireland, the focus moved to the third side involved – the New Zealand camp. The Kiwis took on the hosts in the second ODI of the tournament. For the visitors, it was about finding good form before they for the all-important ICC Champions Trophy. This series was going to be their preparatory ground for the ICC mega event.

On the other hand, Ireland had a bigger picture to think about. They were hosting two major teams in their own backyard and hence had a lot to gain from the series. Amidst this scenario, the second match of the series went underway. Ireland skipper William Porterfield won the toss and opted to bowl first. They made one change to their side as veteran player Ed Joyce was rested and Simi Singh made his ODI debut in Irish colors.

In walked Luke Ronchi and Tom Latham to open the innings for New Zealand. They got off to a flying start riding on free flowing shots from Ronchi in the powerplay. They raced to a fifty run stand but could not add much to the score post then. Barry McCarthy provided the first breakthrough for Ireland as he sent Ronchi packing in the 8th over on 37 that came off 26 balls with 7 fours to his name.

George Worker was the new man in at the number three spot. He lost the support of Latham (15) soon as McCarthy bagged his second wicket in his next over. Ross Taylor was the new man in at number 4 to join Worker at the crease. Both batsmen rallied along to keep the scorecard ticking. With a decent 74 run stand for the third wicket, they ensured the score was well past the 100-run mark. In the partnership, both players scored their individual fifties.

It was Kevin O’Brien who broke the partnership by dismissing Taylor on 52 off 60 balls. Neil Broom came in to bat at number 5 and started hitting the shots right away. Broom, who is renowned for being a big hitter, took the attack to the opposition. Meanwhile, George Worker perished after scoring 50 off 89 balls. Broom thundered past his fifty and was only unlucky to be run out after scoring a brisk 79 that came off only 63 balls with 9 fours and a six to his name. A cameo of 30 runs from James Neesham saw the Kiwis finish with 289/7 in their stipulated 50 overs.

In the run chase, Irish openers William Porterfield and Paul Stirling found it tough going against the Kiwi pacers. Porterfield was dismissed on 12 in the 4th over of the match. Stirling followed him soon to depart after scoring 14. Scott Kuggeleijn was the beneficiary on both the occasions. Two new batsmen – Niall O’Brien and Andrew Balbirnie – were at the crease. They batted well to bail out the Ireland side out of hot waters.

Niall O’Brien’s ton and Santner’s five-for

With a 86-run stand to their name for the third wicket, they saw the hosts move past the 100-run mark. The target was pretty much gettable as long as they were at the crease. Balbirnie was caught and bowled by Mitchell Santner on 36 that came off 50 deliveries. The wicket Kevin O’Brien followed soon as Ish Sodhi accounted for his dismissal on 1. Gary Wilson joined Niall at the crease.

While the wickets were tumbling at one end, Niall O’Brien went past his fifty and looked good for more. He got brief support from Wilson who scored 30 off 23 balls. They added 75 runs for the 5th wicket but the chase was going out of proportions for them. Kuggeleijn was brought back into the attack and he got his third when he dismissed Wilson.

After his dismissal, the other batsmen succumbed to the spin of Santner. On the other hand, Niall O’Brien notched up his maiden century. He roared in delight as he reached his ton with a six that broke the window pane in the vicinity of the ground. He was dismissed on 109 off 131 balls with 9 fours and 5 sixes to his name. The Ireland side bundled out for 238 in 45.3 overs to fall short by 51 runs. Santner finished with figures of 5/50 in his quota of 10 overs.

Brief Scores:

New Zealand 289/7 in 50 overs (Broom 79, Taylor 52, McCarthy 2/59, Murtagh 2/62)

Ireland 238/10 in 45.3 overs (Niall 109, Balbirnie 36, Santner 5/50, Kuggleijn 3/41)

Check full scorecard here.