Bracewell hat-trick as New Zealand seal T20 Series

New Zealand 179 for 4 (Cleaver 78*, Little 2-31, Young 2-34) beat Ireland 91 (Adair 27, Bracewell 3-5, Sodhi 3-21) by 88 runs

Belfast: Michael Bracewell got a hat-trick as New Zealand hammered Ireland by 88 runs in the second of three Twenty20 internationals in Belfast.

The tourists saw Dane Cleaver hit an unbeaten 78, with Finn Allen making 35 in their total of 179-4.

Mark Adair and Craig Young took two wickets each for the hosts.

Adair then posted 27 late on for Ireland, but Ish Sodhi and Bracewell took three wickets apiece as Ireland were all out for 91.

New Zealand won the opening match by 31 runs and the sides will return to Stormont on Friday for the final match of the series, with Ireland still looking for a first-ever win over New Zealand.

Ireland, chasing 180 to win, collapsed to 91 and were all-but-beaten when off-spinner Bracewell removed tailenders Adair, Barry McCarthy and Young with successive deliveries just five balls into his only over.

In doing so, he became only the third New Zealand bowler to take a hat-trick at this level, following pacemen Jacob Oram and Tim Southee.

Ireland, unchanged from the opening match, won the toss and elected to bowl, but the visitors had 44 runs on the board before their first wicket fell.

New Zealand were well in their rhythm on 123 when Craig Young took his second wicket, and his side's third, before the fourth wicket fell with the tourists 171-4 and an over left to play.

Ireland began their response strongly with Paul Stirling hitting 11 from the first over, before falling for 21 to leave Ireland on 23-1 after three overs.

The home side's wickets began to tumble soon after that, with Gareth Delany, George Dockrell and Young all out for a duck.

Adair made a fight of it, with his 27 coming off 22 balls, as New Zealand's bowlers once again proved to be too strong for their hosts, who were dismissed in under 14 overs.