Cricket: Black Caps untroubled by Ireland

New Zealand have beaten Ireland by 40 runs in the first of two Twenty20 World Cup cricket warm-up games at Georgetown, Guyana, this morning (NZT).

Rob Nicol and Jesse Ryder shared an opening stand of 104 runs in 9.2 overs before both departed in the space of seven balls with no further run added.

Ryder clouted 64 runs off 30 balls while Nicol was sedate in comparison with 31 off 30 deliveries.

No 3 Martin Guptill was forced to play cautiously as the Black Caps lost four wickets for 21 runs to be 125 for four as Scott Styris and Gareth Hopkins departed cheaply for five runs each.

But he accelerated during a 49-run partnership for the fifth wicket with skipper Daniel Vettori to reach 50 off 35 balls before being dismissed with just over an over to go.

Vettori, unbeaten on 18 off 12 and Nathan McCullum, 3 not out, pushed the score to 187.

Left-arm spinner George Dockrell, 17, was the best of the Irish bowlers, taking three for 24 after Nicol and Ryder hit opening bowlers William Rankin and Trent Johnston out of the attack.

Seeing Dockrell's success on a slow Providence Stadium pitch, Vettori had Nathan McCullum open the attack and the tactic paid off as the spinner took three for 25 off his four overs.

Although Irish skipper William Porterfield, 34, Gary Wilson 31 and Kevin O'Brien 28, put up some resistance, New Zealand were largely untroubled as Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Ian Butler, Styris and Tim Southee got a wicket each to support McCullum.

New Zealand, who open their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on Saturday morning, play another warm-up match against West Indies tomorrow morning.

Abbreviated scores
New Zealand 187-5, 20 overs (Jesse Ryder 64, Martin Guptill 50; George Dockrell 3-22) bt Ireland 147-9, 20 overs (William Porterfield 34, Gary Wilson 31, Kevin O'Brien 28; Nathan McCullum 3-25) by 40 runs.

- NZPA