Liam McCarthy shines on Test debut but Ireland let promising early position slip as New Zealand take control at Stormont

Liam McCarthy made an impressive Test debut in Belfast, taking a diving catch at mid-wicket and then claiming Kane Williamson’s wicket through an lbw decision. Ireland dominated the early period, taking four wickets before lunch, with Mark Adair taking three wickets in the morning session. Adair dismissed Daryl Mitchell after finding movement on a slow pitch, while McCarthy benefited from chances created by Tom Latham’s leave and Devon Conway’s shot. After early setbacks, Rachin Ravindra and Tom Blundell built a composed partnership of 217 over 55 overs to repair New Zealand’s innings. Ireland continued to press, including a difficult chance at second slip, but New Zealand finished the day on 361-5.

"Liam McCarthy enjoyed a stunning start to his Test match career in Belfast, holding a diving catch at mid-wicket and then claiming the prize wicket of New Zealand superstar Kane Williamson. Ireland dominated the early exchanges of the one-off Test, taking four wickets before lunch, but the rest of the day belonged to the visitors who closed on 361-5, with Rachin Ravindra and Tom Blundell both making centuries."

"One of three new Test caps, McCarthy's confidence would have been buoyed by holding a half-chance - shoulder height and wide to his left - and gone through the roof when a ball that came back into Williamson saw his lbw appeal upheld. The Kiwi is one of the top three or four batters in the world and wickets don't come much bigger for a rookie paceman, although Roger Whelan's snaring of Sachin Tendulkar in 2007 probably still tops the Irish list."

"While McCarthy and fellow debutants Reuben Wilson and Tom Mayes gave good accounts of themselves all day, it was old hand Mark Adair who bagged the other three wickets to fall in the morning session. The local lad from Holywood was on the board after two balls when New Zealand skipper Tom Latham obligingly left a delivery that clipped his off bail and a lazy legside clip by fellow opener Devon Conway gave McCarthy his chance to shine."

"Nagging as ever, and getting a degree of help from a slow pitch, Adair found just enough movement to have Daryl Mitchell caught behind in his second spell to leave New Zealand on 86-4. The crowd at Stormont then saw why Balbirnie rates the Kiwis as having the strongest batting line-up his side have faced in Tests as Ravindra and Blundell repaired the innings with a composed stand of 217 from 55 overs."

Read at Irish Independent