New Zealand finished Ireland off on day three in Belfast, wrapping up a one-off Test by an innings and 79 runs after forcing the follow-on and keeping control from start to finish. The match was done at 11:00 BST, and Ireland were left to absorb a heavy defeat after battling through a format they rarely play.

That result is the kind readers are looking for now because it was not a long, drawn-out contest. New Zealand declared on 490-8 on day two, then returned to the field with Ireland starting day three on 65-2. The top-order pressure was immediate, with Tom Mayes, Harry Tector and Stephen Doheny dismissed in the morning session before the innings kept sliding after lunch.

Curtis Campher became the most concerning part of Ireland's day when he retired hurt with a suspected broken hand after lunch. Andy McBrine, Lorcan Tucker, Liam McCarthy and Reuben Wilson followed, and Wilson was caught off Blair Tickner by Daryl Mitchell for 4 as New Zealand tightened their grip. Ireland battled away, but the gap in skill and rhythm was plain in a format they do not play often enough to meet a side of New Zealand's standard on even terms.

The wider significance goes beyond one result in Belfast. New Zealand were strong favourites before the first ball and used the one-off Test as a useful bridge to a tougher challenge against England next week. For Ireland, the concern is less the margin than the blow to Campher, whose suspected broken hand could shape what comes next for him and for a side already stretched by the demands of Test cricket.

New Zealand leave with a straightforward win and a reminder that, even in a short warm-up assignment, they can impose themselves quickly. Ireland are left with the scoreboard, the bruises and a medical question that may matter more than the margin: whether Campher is fit in time for what comes next.