Latham Leads New Zealand Into New Zealand Vs Ireland Test at Stormont
New Zealand Vs Ireland begins at Stormont in Belfast this week, and Tom Latham says New Zealand are “solely focused on this match” before their three-Test series against England. The four-day Test starts on Wednesday, giving Ireland one of their rare home red-ball chances against a fifth-ranked side.
Latham and New Zealand at Stormont
Latham, the New Zealand captain and the eighth player from his country to reach 10,000 international runs, said, “We are solely focused on this match and we're looking forward to what the next four days presents.” He added, “We want to come here and display our skills as best we can and play our brand of cricket as best we can.”
The fixture is the first Test between Ireland and New Zealand. It is only Ireland’s 13th time in the red-ball format, and their first home Test since July 2024 will come at the same venue where they beat Zimbabwe.
Ireland's rare Test chance
Ireland’s limited Test record gives this match a different edge from a longer series. Latham said, “From an Ireland point of view there's not a huge amount of footage of Test matches so for us it's really important for us to adapt on the go and adapt to conditions as quickly as we can.”
He also pointed to New Zealand’s recent experience in the region, saying, “We've been here playing ODIs and T20 cricket so we have experienced this part of the world, and these conditions, before.” New Zealand have also won their most recent Tests against the West Indies and Zimbabwe in 2025.
England tour looms
The Belfast Test sits alone before New Zealand move on to England in June, where they are scheduled to face England at Lord's, the Oval and Trent Bridge. Latham said, “We know what we've got coming up in a few weeks but our focus is solely on this Test match.”
He also sounded a small caution around the weather, saying, “Fingers crossed, the weather remains sunny like this and we can get a full game in.” For Ireland, the next four days offer one of the few home Tests they get; for New Zealand, they are the bridge to a much bigger three-Test series.
