Player of the Match
Player of the Match

6.07 pm So New Zealand claim another 10 points in 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifying. They move up to 80 points with eight wins from eight matches and sit tied with West Indies for fifth place on the CWC Super League table. But West Indies have played 21 matches with eight wins and 13 losses. New Zealand are in outstanding position to keep climbing up the table to formally qualify for the 2023 ICC World Cup. Ireland's hopes of direct qualification continue to fade though as they stay in ninth place on 68 points having completed 20 of their 24 matches. Reminder that only the top seven on the table plus hosts India (regardless of where they finish in the competition) will gain direct qualification to the World Cup. The final two spots will be decided in a 10-team repechage World Cup Qualifier in early 2023. England currently lead the table with 125 points coming from 12 wins and a no result in their 18 games while Bangladesh have 120 points from 12 wins and six losses.

Post-match presentation time! Here's Player of the Match Michael Bracewell: "I think today the bowlers got off to a great start there. Matt Henry set the tone with three maidens in a row. Jacob Duffy on debut was outstanding at the top there as well so it made it a lot easier to come into the attack with Ireland under pressure. It's a different wicket and spun a little bit more for us today. We were able to extract turn from it today and I was able to take wickets but it was a total team effort. I'm really pleased that I was able to see the game through and be there at the end. It was a game and a wicket where the bowling side always feels they have a chance."

Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie: "It's always tricky when the ball is nipping and spinning 20 overs into a game. We had to batten down the hatches and try to get a score. It still wasn't good enough but if we had gotten 20 or 30 more we might have been closer to a win. I'll have to practice my tossing over the next few days. If we had gotten someone to bat with George for a longer period of time, we might have gotten to 230 or 240. He's in really good form. We have to come back Friday and try to get a win. We could have scrapped a bit more. There are some positives out there but it's still a loss and we're disappointed."

New Zealand captain Tom Latham: "It was a great performance. Winning the toss was obviously pretty crucial but we still had to put the ball in the right areas. Matt Henry getting wickets in the Powerplay was important and then the spinners got some grip. We got off to a shaky start in the chase but Finn Allen played well and we managed to get over the line in the end. It's important in the middle stages to take wickets and obviously the pitch assisted today but we still had to put the ball in the right areas. It was a little bit of a shaky start in the chase but the way we were able to absorb pressure, I thought Finn Allen played outstandingly well. Michael Bracewell showed outstanding composure at the end. He's building a lot of confidence and hopefully he can take that on for a few more months."

That'll do it for today's live coverage. Come back Friday for the finale in this ODI series. On behalf of Deiva Muthu, I'm Peter Della Penna. Take care!

38.1
6
Simi Singh to Bracewell, SIX, full on the stumps, uses his feet to drive this over mid-on and sails over the rope. That's all she wrote. Bracewell breaks Irish hearts for the second time in the space of a few days. New Zealand win by three wickets.

END OF OVER:
38 | 9 Runs | NZ: 213/7 (4 runs required from 12 overs, RR: 5.60, RRR: 0.33)

  • Michael Bracewell36 (39b)
  • Matt Henry3 (3b)
  • Josh Little4-0-29-0
  • Simi Singh8-0-45-2
37.6
1
Little to Bracewell, 1 run, good length ball on off, shuffles across to flick through midwicket for one.
37.6
5w
Little to Bracewell, 5 wides, Little misfires the yorker and it flies way down leg side, Tucker gets half a glove to it but it bursts through to go to the rope for five wides.
37.5
0
Little to Bracewell, no run, full on fifth stump, goes to drive and is beaten as the ball seams in to hit the pads before carrying through to Tucker behind the stumps. Big appeal for everything, lbw and for caught behind denied. He was way outside off stump, all three stumps are visible. Ireland review this in desperation. They would not be going for DRS if this was in the first 10 overs rather than with the target just a few shots away. Replays confirm a big gap between bat and pad and the impact way outside off stump. Ireland lose a review.
37.4
0
Little to Bracewell, no run, back of a length on fifth stump, defended to mid-off for none.
37.3
1
Little to Henry, 1 run, fullish length on fifth stump, goes to drive, not in control of this shot at all as it flies off a thick edge in the air but goes in the gap between gully and backward point for one.
37.2
0
Little to Henry, no run, fullish length on sixth stump, goes to drive and misses.
37.1
2
Little to Henry, 2 runs, back of a length on fourth stump, Henry gets on his toes to punch off the back foot through cover for two to get off the mark.

END OF OVER:
37 | 8 Runs 1 Wkt | NZ: 204/7 (13 runs required from 13 overs, RR: 5.51, RRR: 1.00)

  • Michael Bracewell35 (36b)
  • Matt Henry0 (0b)
  • Simi Singh8-0-45-2
  • Josh Little3-0-20-0
36.6
6
Simi Singh to Bracewell, SIX, full on the legs, Bracewell slaughters this with a heave over midwicket into the crowd on the hill.
36.6
1nb
Simi Singh to Bracewell, 1 no ball, full on fifth stump, defended on the front foot to cover. The over is being extended as Singh has overstepped and the TV umpire waits for the broadcaster to come back from the commercial break, that started after what appeared to be the last legal ball of the over, before play can continue. Free hit to come. Cardinal sin by a spinner.

New Zealand 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st0MJ GuptillFH Allen
2nd0WA YoungFH Allen
3rd101TWM LathamFH Allen
4th31TWM LathamHM Nicholls
5th17TWM LathamGD Phillips
6th28MG BracewellTWM Latham
7th20MG BracewellMJ Santner
8th22MG BracewellMJ Henry