Match: Ireland vs New Zealand, 2ndt T20I (IRE vs NZ)
Date: July 20, Wednesday, 8:30 PM IST
Venue: Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, Belfast
After winning the first T20I match, New Zealand now look to maintain their winning streak in the second T20I match against Ireland which will be played at the Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, Belfast.
In the opening T20I, New Zealand set Ireland a target of 174 runs to win. Glenn Philips remained unbeaten on 69 while Martin Guptill, James Neesham and Michael Bracewell scored in 20s. For Ireland, Joshua Little picked up four wickets while Mark Adair chipped in with two. George Dockrell and Curtis Campher also picked up a wicket each. Chasing 174 runs to win, Ireland were bundled out for 142 runs in 18.2 overs. The top score of 29 came from Curtis Campher, while Mark Adair scored 25. The top four batsmen were dismissed inside the powerplay, which eventually cost Ireland the game. For New Zealand, Lockie Ferguson scalped four wickets, while Mitchell Santner and James Neesham picked up two each.
Ireland have now lost their last four T20Is – one vs UAE, two vs India, and most recently one vs New Zealand, and will be looking to break the losing streak in the second T20I.
Ahead of the second T20I, let’s look at the head to head of both the teams, pitch report, weather update, top picks for your MPL fantasy team and more.
Weather update and pitch report for IRE vs NZ, 2nd T20I
The pitch was fairly neutral towards both batters and bowlers in the first game and a similar surface can be expected in the second game. A total of 24 T20I matches have been played at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast, of which 13 have been won by the teams bowling first. The average first innings score on this ground is 116 while the average second innings score is 103. Going by these stats, the ground historically has been a low scoring one. The highest and lowest T20I total recorded at the Civil Service Cricket Club is 190 for 5 and 53 for 10.
The weather during the game will be pleasant and the sky will be clear. The temperature will fluctuate between 18 to 26 degrees. No rain is forecast.
Ireland team news and predicted XI
Team news: Ireland have lost their last four T20Is – one vs UAE, two vs India, and most recently one vs New Zealand, and will be looking to break the losing streak in the second T20I. Their top order has not been able to contribute with the bat and will have to step up. Their bowlers, though, did reasonably well in the opening T20I in a losing cause.
Squad: Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie(c), Andy McBrine, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Lorcan Tucker(w), George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Simi Singh, Craig Young, Joshua Little, Stephen Doheny, Gareth Delany, Graham Hume
Predicted XI: Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie (c), Gareth Delany, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young, Joshua Little
New Zealand team news and predicted XI
Team news: New Zealand have never lost a T20I to Ireland and will be looking to keep the record intact. However, their batting was largely a one-man show in the opening T20 and they’ll expect a better team performance in the next game.
Squad: Martin Guptill, Finn Allen, Will Young, Tom Latham (w/c), Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy, Dane Cleaver
Predicted XI: Martin Guptill, Finn Allen, Dane Cleaver (wk), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy
Head to head record
Ireland and New Zealand have met each other in two T20 Matches of which Ireland have won none.
Total games – 2
New Zealand – 2
Ireland – 0
Five players to watch out for
Here we list five players you must pick in your MPL fantasy XI for IRE vs NZ, 2nd T20I
Curtis Campher – all-rounder, Ireland
Curtis Campher was Ireland’s top scorer in the opening T20I with a knock of 29 runs. Later in the game he picked up a wicket too. Earlier in the three ODIs against New Zealand, Campher picked up five wickets along with a top score of 43. In all, the all-rounder has played 13 T20 internationals for Ireland, from which he has a batting average of 19.80 along with 16 wickets.
Paul Stirling – batter, Ireland
Paul Stirling scored a brilliant knock of 120 runs in the third ODI and although he was dismissed for just 13 runs in the opening T20, he is still an excellent pick for your MPL team. Stirling is the most experienced player in his squad. He brings with him the experience of 105 T20Is, from which he has an average of 29.51 and a strike rate of almost 135. He has also picked up 20 wickets in the format. Stirling is a good choice for your MPL team’s vice captaincy.
Michael Bracewell – batsman, New Zealand
Michael Bracewell was New Zealand’s best batter in the ODI series with scores of 127*, 42* and 21* in three games. Bracewell made his T20I debut in the first T20I against New Zealand and contributed with 21 runs. He will now be looking for a bigger score in the next game.
Glenn Phillips – batsman, New Zealand
Glenn Phillips was the best batsman for New Zealand in the opening T20I. He scored an unbeaten 69 off 52 balls at a strike rate of 132.69. Earlier in the ODIs too he made significant contributions. In all, Phillips has played 36 T20Is, scoring 714 runs at an average of 28.56 and an excellent strike rate of almost 140.
Lockie Ferguson – bowler, New Zealand
Lockie Ferguson picked up four wickets in the first game and is currently one of the top bowlers in limited overs cricket. In all, he has 29 wickets in 16 T20Is.
MPL fantasy XI – IRE vs NZ, 2nd T20I
IRE vs NZ – where and what time to watch the match live in India
The Ireland vs New Zealand series will not be televised live in in India. But you can watch the game on the Fancode app. The match will begin at 8.30 PM IST on July 20.
Check out our detailed guide on fantasy cricket for more tips and tricks. https://www.mpl.live/blog/todays-match-prediction/
Note: The players recommended here need not be a part of the Playing 11 on game day. Users are advised to do their own research also and follow official sources and create their teams.
