Toss Ireland opt to bowl vs New Zealand

Unlike the first game that was played in the midst of a heatwave under sunny, scorching conditions, the teams were welcomed by grey, cloudy skies in Belfast for the second game.

The game was being played on the same surface that hosted the first T20I, a pitch that was two-paced and one where batting was not necessarily fluid. With the cloudy conditions on offer, it was expected that the new ball would swing. Rain was not forecast, and no side has ever lost a T20I in Belfast after posting a 140+ total.

Ireland are still searching for their maiden victory over New Zealand in the visitors’ trip to their country this summer. They ran New Zealand close in two ODIs, but lost both of them by one wicket and one run respectively. In the first T20I, Ireland had New Zealand struggling at 100 for 5, but Glenn Phillips’ half-century with the bat and Lockie Ferguson’s four-for with the ball derailed the hosts’ chase of 174, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead in the three-game series entering the second T20I, now a must-win for Ireland.

Ireland XI Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie (capt), Gareth Delany, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young, Joshua Little.

New Zealand XI: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Finn Allen, 3 Dane Cleaver (wk), 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Jacob Duffy.