New Zealand enforce the follow-on as Ireland stare at defeat in Belfast Test
Ireland's rare home Test has turned into a holding operation. New Zealand piled up 490 and then bowled the hosts out cheaply enough to enforce the follow-on, and by the close of day two at Stormont Ireland were batting again and still a long way from safety. To save it they will need to bat through most of day three and into the fourth.
Blundell and Ravindra build the platform
The damage was done with the bat. Tom Blundell made a career-best 186, Rachin Ravindra had brought up 121 on the opening day, and debutant Dean Foxcroft fell two short of a hundred on his first Test appearance, top-edging McBrine for 98. Blundell put on 217 with Ravindra for the fifth wicket and another 158 with Foxcroft for the sixth, and New Zealand declared on 490 for 8 with the game effectively out of Ireland's reach before the hosts had picked up a bat.
Smith's 29-ball five-for rips through Ireland
Ireland's reply lasted 45 overs and 179 runs. Nathan Smith was the wrecker, taking 6 for 40 and reaching his five-wicket haul inside 29 balls, the fastest five-for by a New Zealand bowler in Test cricket, past Shane Bond's 39-ball effort against Zimbabwe in 2005.
The deficit of 311 left New Zealand an easy decision, and they sent Ireland back in. Stephen Doheny dug in for an unbeaten 36 as the hosts reached 65 for 2 at stumps, still 246 behind with eight wickets standing.
A long day three ahead
Ireland do not play many Tests, and this is the kind of position that makes the format so unforgiving for a side still finding its feet in it. Andy Balbirnie's team, which named four uncapped players for the match, now has to do the hardest thing in the red-ball game: bat out a day with the match already gone, just to deny the visitors. New Zealand will fancy wrapping it up well before then.
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