Cricket: Black Caps secure clean sweep in T20 series with Ieland

Daryl Mitchell once again played a match-winning role for the Black Caps. Photo / Photosport

The Black Caps have completed an unbeaten tour of Ireland after winning the third and final Twenty20 by six wickets in Belfast on Saturday.

New Zealand had to chase for the first time after losing the toss and overcame Ireland's decent 174-6 with 180-4 and an over to spare.

The Black Caps also won the one-day international series 3-0.

Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell kept the target in sight for New Zealand with brilliant rotation of the strike and running between the wickets.

Phillips, dropped on 13 and 15, showed a measure of the pressure he turned back on Ireland by hitting only one six and one boundary as he finished 56 not out from 44 balls.

He and Mitchell combined for 82 in 8.5 overs to lift New Zealand far from trouble at 65-3.

Their stand ended when Mitchell was bounced and caught by medium-pacer Josh Little for 48 off 32.

But new batter Jimmy Neesham then rushed the visitors to victory with 23 off six balls, including a match-winning six over midwicket.

Ireland was unchanged from the side which lost by 88 runs on Thursday and Paul Stirling gave them a great start with 40 off 29 and sixes off Jacob Duffy, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi.

But Stirling's exit started a collapse, as Ireland went from 79-1 in the 10th over to 116-6 in the 17th. Sodhi slowed them down with 2-24.

Then Curtis Campher took 19 off bowler Blair Tickner, Mark Adair took 18 off Neesham, and the last over bowled by Duffy went for 13.

Adair had 37 runs off 15 and Campher 19 off eight and Ireland asked the question of New Zealand.

But the Black Caps, as usual, had an answer. They go to Scotland for three matches from Thursday.