Blundell, Foxcroft, Smith Star as NZ Take Control vs Ireland

New Zealand’s TotalScore: 490/8 declared

Key knocks: Tom Blundell 186 off 292 – career-best, 22 fours. Resumed on 142_, built on Rachin Ravindra’s Day 1 century. Dean Foxcroft 98 on debut – fell sweeping McBrine, one short of a century.

After that, seamer Nathan Smith ran through the Irish top-order, claiming a five-wicket haul within 29 balls of his new-ball spell to finish with 6 for 40. That rolled Ireland over for 179, and New Zealand swiftly enforced the follow-on. By stumps, Ireland were 65 for 2 in their third innings, still 246 runs away from making New Zealand bat again.

Nathan Smith’s Destruction

Bowling: 6/40 in Ireland’s first innings. Record: Removed four of Ireland’s top six for ducks – a Test cricket record. Spell: Five-for in 29 balls with the new ball. How it happened:0/2 after first over – Doheny and Carmichael out for ducks Balbirnie bowled for 13 after lunch.

After lunch, and under greyer skies, it was Smith tormenting Ireland once again, with a beauty of a length ball that angled in and opened Andrew Balbirnie's defense. The exposed bat-pad gap was enough to knock Balbirnie's middle stump back for 13.

In the same spell, Smith got another full ball to sear back and hit Curtis Campher's front pad, and he was the third batter gone for a duck. Smith would collect his fourth duck victim and get his five-for when Lorcan Tucker pressed forward for a drive, only for the ball to cut him in half and take out his poles. A wicket for Zak Foulkes to dismiss Harry Tector (16) then saw Ireland reeling at 38 for 6.

Day 1: NZ were 86/4 before Ravindra 121 and Blundell’s 142_ rescued them to 361/5. Build-up: Foxcroft named as potential debutant in NZ’s touring squad.

Their sixth-wicket stand of 158 for the sixth wicket - which followed up from the 217-run fifth-wicket stand between Blundell and Ravindra on day one - pulverised Ireland. Blundell was out for 186 in the 114th over, out at midwicket looking for more big hits off Wilson's bowling. Foxcroft, two short of a ton on Test debut, got a top-edge to fine leg off McBrine's offspin in the 119th over.

In between, Nathan Smith was run-out for 17 courtesy a smart team run-out between substitute fielder Jake Egan and wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker. New Zealand declared on 490 for 8, giving their new-ball bowlers a few overs before lunch, during which time Smith struck twice to add to the visitors' advantage en route to his six-for.

Bottom line: Blundell’s 186 and Foxcroft’s 98 on debut set up 490, then Smith’s 6/40 including four first-innings ducks left Ireland reeling 246 behind on follow-on. NZ firmly in control of the Belfast Test.