Ireland v New Zealand: New Zealand pair lead fightback against Ireland at Stormont

Test only, Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont (first of four days)

New Zealand 361-5 (94 overs): Blundell 142*, Ravindra 121; Adair 3-66

Ireland: Still batting

Ireland won the toss and decided to field

Scorecard

New Zealand recovered from a poor start to reach 361-5 on the first day of the four-day Test match against Ireland at Stormont.

Mark Adair took three wickets as the Black Caps slumped to 88-4 before centuries from Rachid Ravindra and Tom Blundell.

Ravindra scored 142 and Blundell remained unbeaten on 142 – the pair put on 217 for the fifth wicket.

In the first meeting between the two teams in Test cricket, Ireland won the toss and elected to field first in a sunny Belfast.

Henrich Malan’s side, playing only their 13th Test match, enjoyed an excellent morning session.

Adair bowled out Tom Latham in the first over as the New Zealand skipper dropped a quick delivery, only to see the ball hit the stumps.

The second wicket fell in the sixth over when Adair was caught by Liam McCarthy, making his Test debut, with a loose stroke from Devon Conway.

Two wickets from three balls later came the morning when Kane Williamson was trapped leg before by the brilliant McCarthy for 39 runs.

After Adair’s delivery slipped back to wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker it was Daryl Mitchell who took an easy catch as New Zealand headed into lunch on 104-4.

The Black Caps responded in style in the afternoon session led by Ravindra and Tom Blundell, who took the score to 214-4 by tea.

Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie was dropped for a drop catch in that afternoon’s session as Ravindra failed to hold onto the slip from the drive.

The fruitful partnership for the Kiwis continued into the evening session, with Ravindra registering a fifth Test century with a fine six and Blundell getting his sixth Test century after 173 deliveries.

After nearly five hours without a wicket, Ireland finally broke the partnership, with Ravindra caught by Tom Mayes off Harry Tector’s delivery.

Blundell continued with Dean Foxcroft (38) as New Zealand finished the first day on a healthy note.

“We got off to a really good start, the first hour was incredible. We set the tone with Tom Latham on the second ball,” McCarthy said.

“New Zealand dug deep and they had a really good partnership and that’s the ebb and flow of Test cricket.

“You don’t get a better wicket than Kane Williamson than your first wicket and it was a really good moment in my Test cricket career for the first time.”

“The Test century was great and batting with my best partner Tom Blundell was a special feeling,” added Ravindra.

Play resumes at Stormont on Thursday at 11:00 BST.