New boy Redmond boosts Kiwis

Late entrant Aaron Redmond smashed 63 off 30 balls as New Zealand hammered hapless Ireland for 198-5 in the World Twenty20 Super Eights game at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Redmond, drafted into the injury-hit Black Caps squad on Wednesday night to replace the sick Jesse Ryder, made an immediate impact with a hurricane knock that contained 10 boundaries.
The 29-year-old contributed 40 in a first-wicket stand of 51 with stand-in captain Brendon McCullum after scoring 30 runs in the first two overs of the innings.
Scott Styris continued Ireland's leather hunt with 42 off 23 balls, adding 61 for the third wicket with Martin Guptill, who remained unbeaten on 45 with four sixes.
"I had been playing in the Bolton League. There were a lot of 50-over matches which were rain-affected, so it was good practice for this shortened version of the game," said Redmond.
"We have plenty of good players. I just go out there and bat. It was important to get a good start and put runs on the board. But we all miss Jesse. He's a good man."
Ireland spinner Kyle McCallan admitted that the minnows suffered a sluggish start.
"It was disappointing for us. We got off to a bad start from the very first ball," he said.
"It's not often we come up against batsmen of the calibre we have been facing here, but we didn't adapt as well as we could."
McCallan, who took 2-33 in his four overs, said he was enjoying the impact slow bowlers were having in the tournament.
"We make the batsmen put the pace on the ball, we can change it up and keep them guessing," he said.
"You have to accept that you are going to go across the ropes but it's how you deal with it that's important."
The Black Caps were once again without captain Daniel Vettori, who has yet to play in the tournament due to a shoulder injury, while frontline batsman Ross Taylor missed out due to a hamstring strain.
Ireland, a non-Test playing nation coached by former West Indian opener Phil Simmons, quaified for the Super Eights after a shock win over Bangladesh in the first round.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan are the other two teams in the group from which two will advance to the semi-finals.

Scoreboard
New Zealand
B. McCullum c West b McCallan 10
A. Redmond lbw b Cusack 63
M. Guptill not out 45
S. Styris c K. O'Brien b McCallan 42
J. Oram c Botha b Cusack 15
P. McGlashan b Johnson 5
J. Franklin not out 7

Extras b3, lb4, w4 11
Total for 5 wkts, 20 overs 198

Fall of wkts 1-51, 2-91, 3-152, 4-168, 5-176
Bowling
Connell 1-0-14-0,
Johnson 4-0-43-1,
K. O'Brien 4-0-31-0,
McCallan 4-0-33-2,
Cusack 4-0-43-2 (w3),
West 3-0-27-0 (w1)