New Zealand stun Ireland in first ODI: Key stats
New Zealand bested Ireland by one wicket in the first of three-match ODIs on Sunday. Ireland lost control at the final stages to be denied their maiden win over NZ. Harry Tector's 113 played a substantial part in Ireland posting 300/9. The chase was bumpy for NZ but Martin Guptill (51) and later Michael Bracewell (127*) steered them home (305/9).
How did the first ODI pan out?
Ireland managed 300/9 after being put to bat first. They faced setbacks early on, but their middle-order batters steered them through. Lockie Ferguson (2/44) was the pick of NZ bowlers. Ireland crippled the Kiwi line-up to leave them reeling on 120/5. For the Kiwis, Bracewell stayed put and rendered a knock of the ages to clinch a nail-biting triumph.
Ireland put up a record total against NZ
As per ESPNcricinfo, Ireland (300/9) have registered their highest team total against the Kiwis in 50 overs. They have bettered their previous tally of 238 from the 2017 Tri-Nation series in Dublin.
Maiden ODI hundred for Tector
Tector came out to bat with the score reading 26/2. He clobbered a sublime-looking 113 off 117 deliveries, hitting 14 fours and a six. The 22-year-old clocked his maiden ton in ODIs. He now has 783 runs at 46.05. He is now the 10th highest run-getter for Ireland in 50 overs. His last six scores read 50, 55, 13*, 53, 54*, and 52.
Campher, Simi rack up crucial tallies
Campher kept runs incoming at a fairly high rate. He scored a 47-ball 43 laced with five fours and a six. He has gone past 400 runs (431) at 39.18. The right-armer also pocketed figures worth 3/49. He now has 13 scalps at 31.61. Meanwhile, Simi hammered a superb 30 off 19 deliveries (four fours, one six). He raced to 577 runs at 23.08.
Key numbers for Kiwi bowlers
Ferguson's inswinger made short work of Stirling. Andy McBrine then played a loose shot to hand the former his second wicket. Ferguson concluded with figures of 2/44 including a maiden. He now has 71 scalps at 25.67. Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi (2/62) and Blair Tickner (2/71) found success as well. Sodhi now has 48 wickets at 34.70, while the latter has seven scalps to show.
38th ODI fifty for Guptill
Guptill saw through the initial burst from Craig Young and Mark Adair. He punished Joshua Little for boundaries at will, including a four towards long off to bring up his 38th ODI fifty. He looked set for a majestic inning but was bowled out by Campher on a fuller one. Guptill managed a 61-ball 51, striking six fours and a six.
3,000 ODI runs for Latham
Tom Latham had a short stay in the middle. He was caught off guard by an inswinging Yorker from Campher which got him out LBW. The southpaw managed 23 off 25 deliveries, hitting three fours. Nonetheless, he has breezed past 3,000 runs (3,018) in ODIs at 35.50. He has become only the 15th Kiwi batter to have breached the 3,000-run mark.
Third-highest run-getter for NZ
Guptill's composed innings raced him to 7,092 ODI runs at 42.21. He has surpassed former Kiwi batter Nathan Astle's run-tally (7,090). He is now the third-highest run-scorer for New Zealand in ODIs. Ross Taylor (8,607) and Stephen Fleming (8,007) rank above him.
Bracewell's 127* lights up Dublin
Bracewell produced one of the defining knocks of his ODI career. With 20 needed of the last over, the southpaw clobbered three fours and two sixes to steer NZ home by one wicket. The 31-year-old belted the hosts for 10 fours and seven sixes in his 82-ball 127*. He now has 131 runs across four ODIs at 65.50.
