Ireland lost to Michael Bracewell yet again, giving away another position of promise to New Zealand No.7, who propelled his team to a victory in the second ODI in Dublin on July 12. Bracewell struck a critical 42 not out off 40 balls as the Black Caps inched ahead of the Irishmen in a low-scoring affair.
Chasing a target of 217, the Kiwis found themselves in a spot of bother at the very beginning, reduced to 0 for 2. They gained their stability via a 101-run stand between half-centurions Finn Allen (60) and Tom Latham (55), before another flurry of wickets brought them down to 149/5.
It was a position from where things could’ve easily gone all wrong for the tourists but again, they found their saviour in Bracewell, who took the game back to the Irish in his naturally attacking ways, a method that proved very effective in the opening one-dayer, too, where he struck his match-winning hundred.
Ireland failed to stitch together a collective bowling effort for the evening. Mark Adair (2/29) and Simi Singh (2/51) shared two wickets apiece. However, to make a contest out of it after posting 216 all out the Irish needed someone to run through the Kiwi batting unit.
They may not have even gotten that many if not for the lone-warrior act from George Dockrell, who produced a knock of 74 off 61 balls at No.7, with his innings featuring 10 fours and two sixes.
The Irish will be disappointed with a number of their batters getting starts without converting them big. The likes of Andy McBrine (28), Curtis Campher (25) got in but failed to post substantial scores, which may have taken Ireland to a potentially winning score.
Bracewell, Kiwis’ batting hero, delivered a spell of two for 26, too, with his useful off-spin bowling. He was backed up nicely by Mitchell Santner (2/32) and Matt Henry (2/40).
Brief scores
Ireland 216 all out in 48 overs (Dockrell 74, McBrine 28; Bracewell 2/26) beat New Zealand 219/7 in 38.1 overs (Allen 60, Latham 55; Adair 2/29) by 3 wickets
