There was another show of great team effort witnessed in the match between Newzealand and Ireland where the teams met for the 2nd ODI of the 3-match series. The visitors beat the hosts by 3 wickets while chasing a total of 217 runs with 71 balls remaining.
New Zealand’s strong bowling effort held Ireland to 216 and helped the visitors wrap up the series. Andy McBrine was among the top-order batters who scored in the double digits. Later the innings was controlled by George Dockrell who hit his personal best ODI score of 74 runs.
Mark Adair’s unbeaten 27 off 15 balls and George Dockrell’s counterattacking 61-ball 74, which is his best score in ODI cricket, helped Ireland exceed 200 on a Malahide surface that favored both seamers and spinners.
New Zealand lost two wickets off the first two balls with Mark Adair getting a dream start. They then built a 100-run partnership with Finn Allen playing a few shots to counter-attack. His partner Latham also got to a fifty, and although the visitors lost Phillips, Nicholls and Santner pretty cheaply, they had enough in the tank to get over the line with three wickets in the bank and 71 balls to spare.
For New Zealand, the winnings credits were split among Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, and Glenn Phillips. Michael Bracewell was awarded player of the match for his splendid performance.
Additional 10 points go to New Zealand in the 2023 Cricket World Cup qualifying. With eight victories in eight games, they increase their point total to 80 and are level with West Indies for fifth position in the CWC Super League standings. New Zealand is in a fantastic position to keep moving up the standings and formally qualify for the ICC World Cup in 2023. Ireland is still in ninth place with 68 points after playing in 20 of its 24 matches, but their chances of advancing directly continue to dwindle.
It is to be remembered that only the top seven teams in the standings, along with the tournament hosts India, will get direct qualifying to the World Cup. In early 2023, a 10-team repechage World Cup qualifying round will determine the remaining two slots. With 125 points after 18 games, England now sits atop the standings. Bangladesh is second with 120 points after 12 victories and six losses.
