Andy McBrine hits unbeaten 73 but Ireland forced to follow on against New Zealand at Stormont

Ireland began the match at Stormont in trouble, collapsing to 38-6 before Andy McBrine’s 73 not out from 105 balls helped raise the first-innings total to 179. McBrine then shared a seventh-wicket stand of 116 with Mark Adair as the pitch flattened, marking their third Test century partnership together. McBrine’s controlled technique and Adair’s more adventurous approach produced 12 boundaries from McBrine, while New Zealand used leg theory to try to break the stand. Adair was dismissed for 40, followed by the end of McBrine’s innings as multiple wickets fell. New Zealand declared at 490-8, then Nathan Smith took five early wickets, including Stephen Doheny and Curtis Campher, with additional dismissals affected by the absence of DRS.

"His 73 not out from 105 balls did give Ireland's first innings of 179 a measure of respectability, though, after a clatter of wickets either side of lunch at Stormont had seen them reduced to an embarrassing 38-6. It was then that McBrine was joined by Mark Adair. And as the pitch flattened out, the seventh-wicket pair added 116, their third century partnership in Tests, following 163 against England at Lord's in 2023 and 127 in Bulawayo as Ireland beat Zimbabwe a year later."

"The Co Tyrone man's neat, well-organised technique, with hands close to his body, is one that could be copied by some of his top-order colleagues who are too often found out reaching for the ball. While McBrine nudged and cut his 12 boundaries, Adair was more adventurous at the other end, and New Zealand resorted to leg theory in an attempt to end the stand."

"A succession of short deliveries eventually did for Adair who gloved a catch to the keeper on 40, and McBrine ran out of partners as Tom Mayes holed out to mid-wicket, Liam McCarthy edged to third slip, and Reuben Wilson fended into the cordon. After New Zealand had extended their overnight to 490-8 declared, Nathan Smith took the first five Ireland wickets to fall, including opener Stephen Doheny with the second ball of the innings, to return figures of 6-40."

"His haul included the unlucky Curtis Campher who shuffled down the pitch first ball and was adjudged lbw to a delivery that appeared to strike him outside the line of off stump. A TV umpire would almost certainly have reprieved Harry Tector as well with his off stump clearly visible when he was struck on the front pad by a Zak Foulkes inswinger. The installation of a DRS system was deemed too expensive for this one-off Test - the lack of one proved costly for two of Ireland's b"

Read at Irish Independent