Tickner's five-for and Blundell's 186 sink Ireland by an innings at Stormont
New Zealand needed only three days to finish Ireland off at Stormont, sealing the one-off Test by an innings and 79 runs and walking into their England series with plenty of red-ball rhythm behind them.
Tom Blundell's 186 had already handed the tourists a position Ireland could not climb out of, and Blair Tickner's maiden Test five-wicket haul on the third afternoon finished a thoroughly lopsided contest at the Civil Service Cricket Club.
Blundell and Ravindra build the platform
The match was effectively decided by New Zealand's first innings, which reached 490 before Tom Latham declared. Blundell, named player of the match, anchored it with a career-best 186, the highest score by a New Zealand wicketkeeper in an away Test, and shared a huge stand with Rachin Ravindra, who made 121. Dean Foxcroft, a surprise selection on debut, fell two short of joining them on a hundred, out for 98.
That total left Ireland chasing the game from the moment they walked out. They were bowled out for 179, with Nathan Smith doing most of the damage. His 6 for 40 tore through the order, and only Andy McBrine, who top-scored with 73, offered real resistance.
Follow-on brings no reprieve
Trailing by 311, Ireland were asked to follow on and never looked like dragging the match into a fourth day. Stephen Doheny and Lorcan Tucker at least gave the home crowd something to applaud, Doheny making 57 and Tucker a half-century before both fell. Mark Adair chipped in with 44 not out, but 232 all out was nowhere near enough to make New Zealand bat again.
The day brought rain and a worrying moment for Ireland, with Curtis Campher retiring hurt on 4 after a short ball reared up and struck his left hand. He left the field for scans, leaving the hosts a batter light for the rest of the innings.
Tickner caps the win
Tickner had gone quiet for much of the match before the second innings handed him his moment. He returned 5 for 76, the first five-wicket haul of his Test career in only his fifth appearance, and removed four of the top five to break the back of the reply. He completed the five-for with the wicket of Reuben Wilson, and New Zealand had their win inside three days.
For Ireland, a rare home Test ended the way several of their longer-format outings have. There were individual positives in McBrine's first-innings runs and Tucker's busy fifty, but little across two innings to suggest they were close to living with a side of New Zealand's depth over five days.
England next for the Black Caps
New Zealand will not have long to enjoy it. They move straight on to a three-Test series against England that starts on June 4 at Lord's, and a win of this size, built on a big first-innings total and a clinical bowling effort, is the sort of preparation Tom Latham's side wanted. Blundell's runs and Smith's six-for will travel well to a far tougher assignment.
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