Dean Foxcroft Lifts New Zealand to 400 in Nz Vs Ire
New Zealand reached 400 in 105.1 overs on day two of nz vs ire after being 86-4 earlier in the innings. Dean Foxcroft’s fifty on Test debut and Tom Blundell’s 150 turned a shaky start into control, leaving Ireland to deal with a long afternoon after choosing to field first.
Foxcroft and Blundell restore order
The recovery came through a 100-run partnership between Foxcroft and Blundell. Foxcroft reached fifty on Test debut, while Blundell moved on to 150 as New Zealand pushed past the 400 mark and kept the innings moving at 3.73 runs per over after 100 overs.
That stand mattered because New Zealand had been 86-4 earlier in the innings. From there, the scoring rate held steady long enough for the innings to recover fully, and the numbers shifted the pressure back onto Ireland after their decision to bowl first.
Adair misses the morning session
Ireland’s morning workload changed when Mark Adair was unavailable because of a stomach complaint. He had taken three wickets on day one, but Ireland had to continue the session without him at 11:00 BST.
That left Liam McCarthy, Tom Mayes and Reuben Wilson among Ireland’s three Test debutants bowling in the morning session. Their task was to slow an innings that had already shown it could rebuild from early trouble, and New Zealand’s move to 400 showed how hard that became once the Foxcroft-Blundell partnership settled in.
Pressure swings after 105.1 overs
Ireland chose to field first after winning the toss, and the decision looked stronger when Adair struck three times on day one. By the end of day two, though, New Zealand had turned the innings around and pushed to 400 in 105.1 overs, with the recovery built on two batters who changed the pace of the Test.
For Ireland, the immediate burden is now on the bowling unit to work through an innings that no longer looks vulnerable after the early collapse. For New Zealand, the debut fifty from Foxcroft and Blundell’s 150 gave the innings the platform it needed and left the match in Belfast tilted back toward their side.
