Glenn Phillips’ unbeaten fifty led New Zealand to a 3-0 T20I series whitewash of Ireland with a six-wicket win in Belfast on Friday.

Daryl Mitchell weighed in with a useful 32-ball 48 before James Neesham struck 23 off just six deliveries. Phillips was 56* as New Zealand chased down a target of 175 with an over to spare.

When Mitchell was caught and bowled by Josh Little, the Black Caps were faltering at 147-4 with little more than three overs remaining.

But Phillips, who also made a match-winning fifty in the series opener, proved a thorn in Ireland’s side again before the big-hitting Neesham made sure of victory.

Ireland’s 174-6 featured veteran opener Paul Stirling’s 40, with the hosts’ total bolstered by Mark Adair’s smashed 37 off 15 balls and Curtis Campher’s 19 off eight.

Adair and Campher’s unbeaten stand of 58 from 23 deliveries gave Ireland, who have suffered agonising white-ball defeats by both India and New Zealand this season, hope of victory.

But instead they suffered yet another loss to New Zealand, following a 3-0 reverse in the preceding ODI series.

© Agence France-Presse