Ireland get another chance to show they belong with the big boys over the next couple of weeks when they host New Zealand for a white ball tour, one which begins in Dublin on Sunday when the two meet in the first of three ODIs.
Ireland warmed up for this series by hosting India in a couple of T20s just over a week ago while New Zealand have been passing time since they lost the Test series in England a couple of weeks ago. Both will be looking to impose themselves on the other here.
Ireland
Ireland more than held their own in those T20 matches against India and now they will look to challenge another side with a big reputation. The last time Ireland took on a leading nation in ODI cricket was at the beginning of the year when they beat West Indies 2-1 in USA. When I look at the Ireland team I tend to think the players they have available they will be better suited to the 50 over format than they are the 20 over one.
They have shown that in the past with some famous wins over big nations in the 50 over game and they have three chances to add another occasion to their roll of honour. If that is going to happen you sense they’ll need to bowl very well. They have the solidness in their batting order and the depth to it to put enough runs up with the bat, which on these good batting tracks is necessary, but whether they can contain a good side with the ball remains to be seen.
New Zealand
Having lost in the last two World Cup finals in this format, New Zealand are certainly a side to be feared in this format of the game. There were one or two signs in the Test series in England that this collective squad might just be going past their shelf life at the very top of their form but they have another chance to show they just came up against a good side and can put the minds of everyone at rest with a dominant display here.
It was with the bat where New Zealand struggled against England. Although England tore their bowlers apart in the second innings of all three matches they didn’t actually bowl that badly but apart from two batters they looked a little at sea with the bat in hand. They will hope the white ball specialist batters who have been brought in for this tour will give them some pep at the top of the innings else these matches could be tighter than they would like.
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Team News
Ireland are expected to bring Curtis Campher into their side from the ones which played India in the T20 series. Simi Singh is also in the squad and will likely return while bowler Graham Hume could make his ODI debut if selected.
This is largely a second string squad for New Zealand for this series and they will be without Mitchell Santner in it as he tested positive for Covid. Kane Williamson is rested but Finn Allen, Glenn Phillips and Jacob Duffy join the squad after spells in county cricket.
Betting
We saw in the Ireland vs India T20s that this is a high scoring ground and I expect to see that again here. New Zealand might not be at full strength but there is more than enough there with the bat to score well, especially against this Irish attack. Ireland have a close to first choice batting unit out on show for this match and although there are a couple of New Zealand bowling components who look strong in the form of Adam Milne and Lockie Ferguson, neither of them would have played much cricket over the last month or so.
The run line for this match is 482.5 and that looks low anyway in the modern era but when you consider that the last ODI on this ground saw 346/4 it looks especially low. To their credit, Ireland scored 276 in that game and they have also scored 327/5 in a losing effort to West Indies and the last time New Zealand played here they scored 344/6. Sri Lanka and Pakistan have also scored 330 on this ground and if a score of that size gets made here we can limp home for the over. The line just looks too low to me.
Tips
Back Over 482.5 runs for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
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