Paul Stirling and Harry Tector smashed hundreds, but the hosts fell one short of the New Zealand target, chasing 361 in the third ODI on July 15.
New Zealand held off Ireland’s record-breaking charge as they claimed the dramatic third One-Day International in Dublin by the barest margin of one run. With that, the visitors completed a 3-0 sweep over Ireland in the ODI series.
“It was an amazing game. A bitter pill to swallow, but it was great,”
said the Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie.
Needing 10 runs in the last over with two tailenders at the crease, Blair Tickner conceded one off the first two balls. Glenn Phillips, one of the best fielders in the game, dropped Craig Young on the third ball and ended up giving a boundary.
It looked like the two tailenders might pull off a heist, but Young ran himself out on the next delivery looking for a double. Then a single off the penultimate ball and a bye on the last ball meant the Black Caps just about survived.
Stirling smashed 120 off 103 while Harry Tector made 108 off 106, with the pair adding 179 runs for the third wicket. The hosts needed 86 off 11 overs with six wickets in hand at one stage. They looked on course to victory but Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner produced important blows for the Kiwis. Milne picked four for 68 while Santner ended up with three for 71.
Earlier, Martin Guptill registered his 18th ODI hundred, scoring 115 off 126. Henry Nicholls smashed 79 off 54 in the middle order while Glenn Phillips hit 30-ball 47 as they posted 360/6 on the board.
Guptill was named the ‘Player of the match’ for his hundred, while Michael Bracewell was awarded the ‘Player of the series’ for his 190 runs and two wickets in the series. The two teams will now face off in a three-match T20I series, starting July 18 in Belfast.
Brief scores
New Zealand 360/6 in 50 overs (Guptill 115, Nicholls 79; Little 2/84) defeated Ireland 359/9 in 50 overs (Stirling 120, Tector 108; Henry 4/68, Santner 3/71) by one run.
