Injury rules Matt Henry out of New Zealand's plans for Ireland Test

Published - 27 May 2026, 23:36 IST | Updated - 27 May 2026, 23:41 IST

The visiting New Zealand side has suffered a major setback ahead of their historic one-off Test against Ireland, as experienced pacer Matt Henry has been ruled out of the encounter due to an injury, which did not allow him to take part in the ongoing contest. The four-day Test at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast marks the first-ever Test meeting between the two sides.

The Black Caps confirmed the development through their official X account before the start of play. Henry is currently recovering from a low-grade left hamstring strain and will now miss the Ireland fixture.

“Blackcaps fast bowler matt Henry will miss the one-off test against Ireland as he recovers from a low-grade left hamstring strain,” the statement from New Zealand Cricket read.

“Henry will join fellow fast bowlers will O’Rourke and Kyle Jamieson in London as part of their prep for the first test against England starting at Lord’s on Thursday 4 June.”

A brief update before the start of today's Test.#IREvNZ

The injury comes as a concern for New Zealand ahead of their upcoming three-match Test series against England, scheduled to begin at Lord’s on June 4. Henry will now head to London along with Will O’Rourke and Kyle Jamieson to continue preparations for the England tour.

Meanwhile, Ireland won the toss and elected to bowl first in Belfast while hosting a home Test for the first time in two years. The hosts were also forced into a change as regular opener Paul Stirling missed the match due to injury. Stephen Doheny was named as his replacement at the top of the order.

Ireland handed Test debuts to seamers Thomas Mayes, Reuben Wilson, and Liam McCarthy for the special occasion. On the other hand, New Zealand included four seamers in their playing XI, while all-rounder Dean Foxcroft made his Test debut.

Notably, the match is not part of the World Test Championship cycle, meaning no WTC points are at stake for the 2021 champions, while the Irishmen do not participate in the global cycle. As things stand, the Black Caps are in a spot of bother, losing their first four wickets while scoring just 100 runs. The returning Kane Williamson was dismissed on 36 runs by Liam McCarthy.