Cricket Betting Tips For 2026 - New Zealand vs Ireland Only Test

Preparation is key, they say, and New Zealand have just one Test match against Ireland as they gear up for their three-match series with England in June.

We finally see some of the big guns return to Test match cricket for the Black Caps! The likes of Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, and Glen Phillips should also be back in the fold as they prepare for the first Test match of 2026. This preview provides everything you should know for this game, so before you bet on cricket, take a look at what our experts have to say.

Odds thanks to Betista (accurate at time of publication).

New Zealand

While New Zealand’s eye may be more focused on the upcoming three-game Test match series with England in June, this game against Ireland is an excellent way to prepare. The visitors come into this game as the heavy favourites, and with the lineup they have, it’s easy to see why.

They will likely announce a strong team with Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, and Rachin Ravindra expected to deliver with the bat. Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, and Jacob Duffy should all be there with the ball as well.

It won’t matter if the Black Caps bat or bowl first; they look like the more well-rounded team, and have experience plus class to get them over the line. They just need to focus on the job at hand and not get too ahead of themselves, thinking about their series with England.

Ireland

The home team will face an uphill battle taking on New Zealand in this game. Irish cricket has certainly come a long way in the last few years, but it certainly isn’t at the same level as teams like New Zealand. They do have experience at this venue, winning against Zimbabwe a couple of years ago.

Ireland hasn’t played since November last year, and their two most recent Test matches resulted in back-to-back losses. It has also been reported that experienced Irish batter Paul Stirling has been ruled out of this match.

Instead, it looks like Ireland will have to rely on the likes of Lorcan Tucker, Jake Edgan, Andy McBrine, and Andrew Balbirnie to score the majority of the runs. With the ball, Matthew Humphreys, Craig Young, and Mark Adair look the most likely.

This is the first time that New Zealand and Ireland will play each other in this format. In New Zealand’s most recent five Test matches, they have a record of four wins and one draw. Ireland has a record of three wins and two losses.

The most vital trends that you should be aware of leading into this match: 

• Neither New Zealand nor Ireland have played Test match cricket in 2026.
• Devon Conway is the leading run scorer for the Black Caps in Test matches with an average of 47.09 (since May 2024).
• Matt Henry is the leading wicket-taker for the Black Caps in Test matches with 49 wickets in eight matches (since May 2024).

While New Zealand do have bigger fish to fry, I think they’ll still be ultra-focused as they’ll want to head into the England series in some form. Simply winning won’t be good enough for the Black Caps; they’ll be looking for a statement win to show England they mean business.

There’s absolutely no value in taking New Zealand for the outright win, but I do see some value in taking them for the highest opening partnership. Both teams may be a little rusty, but the class of New Zealand’s batters will see them across the line.

Take New Zealand to have the highest opening partnership @ $1.44.

A lot of intrigue about this game as the Black Caps and Ireland play each other for the first time in Test match cricket. New Zealand looks to be putting their best foot forward as they gear up for the series with England. They are clearly the superior team and should be winning this comfortably. If you’re betting on this game, don’t forget to take advantage of any free bets as well!