Ireland cricket team and New Zealand cricket team are all set to begin a historic red-ball battle as the two sides prepare to face each other in a one-off Test match in Belfast from May 27 to May 30. The encounter will mark the first-ever Test meeting between the two nations, adding extra excitement to the contest.
New Zealand enter the clash with a balanced squad led by Tom Latham. The visitors have strengthened their pace department with the inclusion of Kyle Jamieson and Will O'Rourke, while a few uncapped players are also in contention to make their Test debuts during the tour.
Meanwhile, Ireland will head into the match under the captaincy of Andrew Balbirnie. However, the hosts will miss several important names due to injuries, including Paul Stirling, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy and Jordan Neill.
The one-off Test is part of New Zealand’s tour of Ireland and will be played at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast. The match is scheduled to begin at 3:30 PM IST.
Cricket fans in India will not be able to watch the match on television as there is no official broadcast available for the series. However, live streaming of the one-off Test will be available on FanCode.
The match is expected to attract plenty of attention, especially because it is the first red-ball clash between the two sides. New Zealand will start as favourites given their experience in the format, but Ireland will hope to make the most of home conditions and produce a competitive showing despite missing several senior players.
Andrew Balbirnie (C), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Cade Carmichael, Stephen Doheny, Jake Egan, Matthew Humphreys, Tom Mayes, Andrew McBrine, Liam McCarthy, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Reuben Wilson, Craig Young.
Tom Latham (C), Tom Bundell, Kristian Clarke, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Dean Foxcroft, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young
