IRE vs NZ 2nd T20I Commentary - Stormont (20 July 2022)

FOUR! Another boundary for Ireland! A tossed up delivery on middle. Barry McCarthy slog-sweeps it towards the deep mid-wicket region for a boundary.

A flatter one on middle. Barry McCarthy works it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

OUT! CAUGHT! Michael Bracewell gets rid of Mark Adair! A flatter delivery on middle. Mark Adair shimmies down the track and whips it off his legs but does not get enough power behind the shot and ends up hitting it straight down the throat of Glenn Phillips at deep mid-wicket. It has been a fine knock from Adair but the party is over now.

OUT! TAKEN! Two wickets in two balls from Michael Bracewell! A similar dismissal like the previous one! A short one, outside off. Barry McCarthy gets low and smashes it towards deep mid-wicket. Glenn Phillips takes a good catch. Michael Bracewell is on a hat-trick now!

OUT! CAUGHT! YES, HE CAN! Hat-trick for Michael Bracewell! He finishes things off in style! Short and wide of off. Craig Young backs away and slices it towards backward point. Ish Sodhi there jumps and takes a good catch to complete Michael Bracewell's hat-trick and to wrap the match up! New Zealand win by 88 runs and seal the series 2-0!

On a length, on middle. Mark Adair works it to mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! Now, Barry McCarthy gets into the act! Shorter and outside off. Barry McCarthy skips down the track and slaps it over mid off for a boundary.

A slower full ball on middle. Barry McCarthy pushes it to long on for a single.

A slower length delivery, outside off. Adair waits for it and late-cuts it to short third man.

Back of a length, around off. Adair looks to cut it but misses.

FOUR! New Zealand have been sloppy in the field in the last few overs! It is a short delivery on off. Mark Adair pulls it to deep mid-wicket. Glenn Phillips moves to his left and slides to stop it. However, the ball deflects off his body and goes towards the fence.

Flighted delivery, outside off. Adair leaves it.

FOUR! Clever from Adair! This is fuller on off. Adair reverse-sweeps it through the backward point region for a boundary.

FOUR! Another boundary! Pushed quicker and tad shorter, around off. Adair looks to cut it. However, he gets a thick outside edge past short third man for a boundary.

SIX! Mark Adair is enjoying himself out there! Sodhi bowls a half-tracker on middle. Adair rocks back and pulls it all the way over the mid-wicket fence.

A flatter one on middle, Adair goes back and blocks it.

Tossed up, on off. Adair skips down the track.and manages to push it towards long off for a single. 104 needed now from 48 balls!

FOUR! Well played! Tossed up on off. Adair skips down the track and plays an inside-out lofted drive over extra cover for a boundary.

A flatter delivery angling into middle. Adair chops it to point.

Adair goes across the crease and Mitchell Santner bowls it wider outside off. Adair looks to sweep it but misses.

On the shorter side, around off. Adair cuts it to point. The fielder there misfields and a single is taken.

Tossed up, around off. Barry McCarthy pushes it back to the bowler.

A fuller delivery again, on off. Barry McCarthy drives it to covers.

A low full toss, around off. Curtis Campher knocks it to long off for a single. No hat-trick for Ish Sodhi!

Quicker, shorter, outside off. Mark Adair looks to cut this away but he misses. 

Short again, outside off. Mark Adair pushes it towards cover and takes a single. 

OUT! TAKEN! The Irish batting collapse continues. Ish Sodhi might have not got a hat-trick but he has grabbed his third wicket of the game. It's Curtis Campher who departs now! Shorter one, around off, extra bounce there as well. Curtis Campher makes room and looks to slash this away. But the ball goes off the thick outside edge and lobs up towards backward point. James Neesham there once again, takes a good catch leaping towards his left. 

Short, a googly now, around middle and leg. Barry McCarthy flicks it towards mid-wicket for a single. 

Tosses this one up, full and outside off. Mark Adair drives it to long off for a single.

FOUR! Lovely shot! Full, around middle. Curtis Campher steps down the ground and tonks it over the bowler's head for a boundary.

Shorter one, spinning away, outside off. Curtis Campher pushes it towards cover off the back foot for a single. 

Wide! Down the leg side, shorter one. Mark Adair leaves it alone. Wide called!

WIDE! Drifts down the leg side again  Adair looks to clip it away but misses.

On the shorter side, around off. Adair punches it to the cover fielder.

Fuller now, outside off. Mark Adair taps it towards cover.

Tosses it up, full and around off. Mark Adair pushes it towards cover.

Short this time, around off. Mark Adair gets cramped for room there and ends up dabbing it to point. 

Sharp turn straightaway! Fuller one, a leg-break, outside off. Lorcan Tucker leans to drive but he gets beaten as the ball spins past his outside edge.

Full, around off. Lorcan Tucker reverse-sweeps this towards cover-point and takes a quick single. 

Shorter one now, spinning away, outside off. Curtis Campher makes room and punches it towards sweeper cover. Only a single. 

Slower through the air, full and around off. Lorcan Tucker looks to reverse-sweep this one but he misses and gets hit on his body.

OUT! STUMPED! Another one bites the dust! Ish Sodhi strikes this time and gets rid of Lorcan Tucker! Ireland have lost half their side now! A fuller ball, slower one again, outside off. Lorcan Tucker takes a big stride forward and looks to sweep this one but he misses. The ball hits him on the pads and goes towards the keeper. Dane Cleaver collects the ball and whips the bails off. Lorcan Tucker is well short of his crease. He walks back! 

OUT! EDGED AND TAKEN! Oh, dear! Ireland lose another one! Two wickets in two balls for Ish Sodhi! What a first over this is from him! A loopy ball, full and spinning away, around off. George Dockrell looks to drive this away but he gets an outside edge towards first slip. James Neesham pouches it safely. Ish Sodhi will be on a hat-trick in his next over! 

A fuller one, loopy ball as well, on the pads. Curtis Campher leans and blocks it out. 

Full again, on middle, tosses it up again. Curtis Campher defends it out solidly. 

Pitches it up again, outside off. Curtis Campher makes room and looks to drive this one but the goes off the inside edge and rolls away towards the keeper.

Very full again, outside off. Curtis Campher drives it firmly towards sweeper cover for a single. 

Flighted delivery, full and on middle. Lorcan Tucker blocks it out.

Outside off, fuller in length. Lorcan Tucker reverse-sweeps it towards short third man for a single.

FOUR! Nicley done! A fuller one, around off. Curtis Campher shuffles across and scoops it over short fine leg for a boundary. 

Pulls his length back now, around middle. Curtis Campher tucks it off the back foot towards square leg for a single. 

Swing and a miss! On a length, outside off, at 132.2 clicks. Andy Balbirnie looks to over mid off but he fails to get any connection on that. 

FOUR! Good pick up! Short, around middle and leg. Andy Balbirnie pulls it gently towards fine leg for a boundary. 

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Jacob Duffy grabs another wicket. This time he sends back the Ireland skipper and the home side are 4 down within the Powerplay, once again. A fuller one, wide of off. Andy Balbirnie looks to drive this over cover and away from his body. But the ball goes off the outside edge back to the keeper. Dane Cleaver takes an easy catch there. Ireland in deep trouble!

On a length, around middle and leg. Lorcan Tucker tucks it towards square leg. Ireland are 41 for 4 at the end of the Powerplay!

OUT! RUN OUT! Ireland lose their third and this time it is courtesy of a run out. Tector tries to steal a single and pays a heavy price here. On a length, on middle. Tector looks to work it towards the leg side. However, he gets the leading edge towards covers. Tector sets off for a quick single and Glenn Phillips comes running in,collects the ball and fires a direct under-arm throw at the bowler's end. Tector is short of his crease and Ireland are in a big trouble here.

A yorker, around off. Andy Balbirnie squeezes it past point for a couple.

Lands on a length, around off. Andy Balbirnie steers it towards third man for a single. 

WIDE! Goes for a yorker again but spills it down the leg side. Campher looks to flick it away but misses.

Back of a length, around off. It nips back in and Campher gets hit high on his pads as he looks to cut it away. The ball rolls towards the off side.

Bangs it short and around off. Campher looks to cut it but misses.

On a length, on middle. Campher clips it to square leg for a single.

Back of a length, around off. Andy Balbirnie looks to punch it away but gets the inside half of his blade towards mid off for a single.

OUT! KNOCKED HIM OVER! Gareth Delany departs for a golden duck! Duffy with a good-length delivery, around off. It nips back in sharply and Delany looks to push at it away from his body. The ball beats the inside edge of his blade and knocks over the off pole. Ireland are two down now and they need a solid partnership to make a match of this one.

Back of a length, around off. Tector punches it to point for a single. A risky single this one.

Tad shorter and around off. Andy Balbirnie dabs it towards deep point for a single.

On a length, on middle. Tector skips down the track and flicks it to fine leg for a single.

Goes fuller on middle. Andy Balbirnie pushes it to mid on.

Overpitched delivery, around off. Paul Stirling drives it crisply towards the cover fielder in the ring.

Lands on a length, around off. Paul Stirling defends it with the angled blade towards point.

Back of a length, around off. Paul Stirling punches it to cover-point.

FOUR! Paul Stirling is off the blocks quickly here! This is a half-volley, outside off. Paul Stirling drives and drives it well through covers for a boundary.

Pulls his length back, on middle. Paul Stirling defends it towards the leg side.

WIDE! Bangs it short, around leg. Paul Stirling looks to pull it but misses.

OUT! CAUGHT! Lockie Ferguson draws first blood and gets the big wicket of Paul Stirling! It has been an intense battle between these two right throughout this tour and Lockie Ferguson gets the better of the hard-hitting Paul Stirling there! Good hard length, around off. Paul Stirling looks to heave it away towards the leg side. However, the ball hits him high on the blade, and the ball loops up in the air towards mid off. Mitchell Santner moves to his right and takes a fine catch.

On a length, angling into middle. Paul Stirling pushes it towards mid on. The ball hits high on the blade and ends up breaking the blade of Paul Stirling. He runs for a single though with just a handle and upper part of his blade, luckliy for him the fielder does not got to the ball quickly.

Lands on a length, on leg. Andy Balbirnie works it towards the leg side for a single.

FOUR! Nicely timed! Serves a fullish delivery on the pads. Paul Stirling flicks it past square leg for a boundary.

Angling into middle and leg. Paul Stirling clips it to fine leg for a single.

Goes a tad fuller on middle. Andy Balbirnie drives it to mid on this time.

Duffy pulls his length back slightly, on middle again. Andy Balbirnie blocks it out.

A flatter one on off. Paul Stirling defends it off the front foot.

This is slower through the air, on middle. Paul Stirling with a solid block again.

SIX! Paul Stirling is off the mark in style! Perfect way to start for Ireland as well! Mitchell Santner drifts down the leg side, It is a tad short in length and Paul Stirling rocks back to pull it over the backward square leg fence for a biggie.

Slower through the air, on off. Paul Stirling blocks it off the front foot.

FOUR! Nicely played again! This is fuller, on off. Paul Stirling goes inside-out this time and wide of extra-cover for a boundary.

Fraction short on middle. Paul Stirling works it to mid-wicket for a single.