50 overs Ireland 300 for 9 (Tector 113, Campher 43, Ferguson 2-44, Sodhi 2-62) vs New Zealand
Tickner, however, cut down his pace and cut short Tector’s innings at 113 off 117 balls. Tector was warmly welcomed back by Paul Stirling, the only other Ireland batter to rack up four successive fifty-plus scores for Ireland in ODI cricket, along with the rest of the Ireland squad, in front of a sell-out crowd in Malahide.
Such a tall total seemed far away from Ireland’s reach when Ferguson and Henry had carved up their top order. Ferguson, who was playing his first ODI since March 2020, marked his return by blitzing through Stirling’s defences with a hooping inswinger. Andy Balbirnie managed nine off ten balls before Henry found just enough seam movement against the inward angle to scratch the outside edge.
Ireland had suffered a blow even before the start of the series, with their head coach Heinrich Malan going into isolation after testing positive for Covid-19. Despite those setbacks, Ireland still found a way, thanks in no small part to their middle order.
Once the swing disappeared, Ferguson pounded the hard lengths and even had McBrine on the floor. McBrine, though, immediately shook that off and crunched the next ball he faced from Ferguson between extra-cover and mid-off. Then, when Ish Sodhi went too full, McBrine stretched out once again and belted a four over his head. He dominated a 60-run third-wicket partnership with Tector before Ferguson returned for his second shift and had him nicking behind.
Sodhi also coaxed a couple of late wickets, but by then the damage had already been done by Tector and Campher. Ferguson was New Zealand’s best bowler on the day, returning 2 for 44 in his ten overs.