A hat-trick by off-spinner Michael Bracewell helped New Zealand thrash Ireland by 88 runs in the second T20I at Belfast on Wednesday and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Bracewell picked up Ireland’s last three wickets off consecutive balls in his first ever T20I over as the hosts were bundled out for 91 while chasing the Blackcaps’ total of 179 for four.

Bracewell, playing his second T20I, thus became the third bowler from his team after Jacob Oram and Tim Southeee to claim a hat-trick in the shortest format.

Bracewell finished with figures of 3/5 from 0.5 overs.

Here’s the video:

HAT-TRICK! #MichaelBracewell breezes past Ireland tail.
.
.#IREvNZ @BLACKCAPS @cricketireland pic.twitter.com/aZNuFNiVHK

— FanCode (@FanCode) July 20, 2022

Finn Allen (35 off 20) at the top of the order provided a strong start to his team while Phillips (23 off 16) and Daryl Mitchell (14 off 10) offered some assistance to wicketkeeper-batsman Dean Cleaver in the first innings.

For his unbeaten 78 off 55, Cleaver was adjudged player of the match.

“Pretty special day to contribute to a good win for the country. The wicket offered a little bit of variations. It wasn’t my most fluent innings but I stuck to my options and it came off,” said Cleaver during the post-match presentation.

The third and final game of the series will be played on Thursday at the same venue.

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.

Cricket Ireland (CI), on Monday, have announced a 14-member squad for the upcoming three-match home T20I series against New Zealand.

The Irish selection committee has stuck to the same squad that played in the recently concluded T20I assignment against the No.1-ranked Men’s T20I team, India. Ireland lost the two-match leg 0-2, but they had almost chased down the huge target of 226, falling just four runs short in the second and final T20I.

Both newcomers Conor Olphert and Stephen Doheny have successfully retained their spots. Notably, Olphert made his international debut against India, while uncapped Doheny could get an opportunity in the upcoming series against the Black Caps.

“Naturally, the Selectors are backing the players that performed well against India â€?the high standards we sought were delivered upon, and we hope the squad can put in similar performances against New Zealand,” said Andrew White, Ireland’s Chair of National Men’s Selectors in a statement.

“The second T20I against India was a superb spectacle for the fans, but I know the coaching staff and players were gutted not to get across the line. The players should take great confidence from the past week, and we hope that this can lead to greater consistency in performances. It would be fantastic to see the sporting public – young and not-so-young – come out in their numbers and support the team at Stormont,” he added.

The white ball series against New Zealand, which starts from, July 10 in Malahide, consist of three ODIs and as many T20Is. Ireland have already announced their squad for the ODI leg.

Ireland Squad for New Zealand T20Is:

Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.

Ireland Cricket (IC) has announced the 14-member men’s squad for the forthcoming One-Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand at home. The three-match series, which starts on July 10 in Dublin, will be part of the ICC World Cup Super League, with 30 crucial points up for grabs.

Top-order batter Stephen Doheny and bowling all-rounder Graham Hume have been called up to Ireland’s outfit. Notably, Doheny is currently the leading run-scorer in the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy competition, with 158 runs at an average of 52.67. He has been picked in place of William Porterfield, who recently retired from international cricket to focus on coaching.

Similarly, Hume, who recently qualified for Ireland through residency, has claimed 10 wickets at an average of just 9.40 in the inter-provincial 50-over competition.

“With the recent retirement of William Porterfield, we’ve called up Stephen Doheny into his first ODI squad. Stephen has impressed coaches and selectors with his stroke play and is now starting to convert starts into defining and match-shaping innings’ at inter-provincial and Wolves levels. His form has warranted his call-up to both white-ball squads, and we wish him well,” said Andrew White, Chair of National Men’s Selectors.

“It’s likewise pleasing to see Graham Hume get his chance in the ODIs after repeated seasons of consistent form while he qualified to play for Ireland. Hume has demonstrated his accuracy and ability to extract bounce and movement in home conditions – we are hoping his knack of prising out early breakthroughs will translate to the higher level,” he added.

Ireland squad for New Zealand ODIs:

Andrew Balbirnie (Captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.