Andy Balbirnie warns New Zealand will be Ireland's toughest Test yet as Stormont showdown looms

Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie expects New Zealand to deliver the toughest test of his side’s credentials in a one-off match in Belfast. He notes that, aside from a couple of Tests, Ireland often enters matches as underdogs and must play consistently well, especially when in control. Paul Stirling is unavailable due to a calf strain, and Barry McCarthy is also ruled out with knee ligament damage, removing a key new-ball and middle-innings bowling option. Jordan Neill and Josh Little are injured as well, and Curtis Campher will play only as a batter, raising concerns about Ireland’s bowling depth if the pitch favors seam movement.

""We've played Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in their own conditions but from a quality and statistical point of view this New Zealand batting line up is probably the strongest we've come up against," Balbirnie said. "That's the challenge of Test matches, though. Bar one, or maybe two Tests we've always been the underdogs - and that's fine - but we have to make sure we play decent cricket and in those periods when we are on top we have to stay on top for as long as possible.""

""Barry's a big loss. He hasn't played a whole lot of Test cricket but he was with Durham in the county championship for a number of years and he has that experience of bowling at different times in the game, and different situations, and we'll miss that. "It's a big setback for him but it is what it is and all we can do is make sure he gets the best care available and he gets back to full fitness as soon as possible.""

"While much of the pre-match focus was on Stirling's absence from his home-town Test with a calf strain, Pembroke paceman McCarthy could prove a far bigger loss if the Stormont pitch is seamer friendly, as it was two years ago for the four-wicket win against Zimbabwe. McCarthy, who will be out of action until next year with knee ligament damage, would have been Balbirnie's quickest option with the new ball and also capable of energetic momentum-turning spells in the middle of the New Zealand innings."

Read at Irish Independent