Redmond, drafted into the Black Caps squad on Wednesday night to replace the sick Jesse Ryder, made an immediate impact with a hurricane 63 off 30 balls at the top of the order.

New Zealand, sent in to bat on an even-paced wicket, rode on Redmond’s belligerence to pile up 198-5 before bowling the minnows out for 115 in 16.4 overs to record their first Super Eight points.

Four Irish batsmen ran themselves out with New Zealand’s stand-in captain Brendon McCullum effecting two of them with direct hits while elder brother Nathan claimed three wickets.

The Kiwis play Sri Lanka and Pakistan in their remaining second round matches with the top two teams in the group set to advance to the semi-finals.

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.

Redmond, a 29-year-old from Otago, was playing club cricket in England when he was called up to replace Ryder, who was hospitalised in London with a mysterious illness and was ruled out of the tournament.

The seven-Test veteran showed no signs of nerves in his first Twenty20 international as he hammered 30 runs in the first two overs and contributed 40 in an opening stand of 51 with stand-in captain Brendon McCullum.

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.”

Ireland, a non-Test playing nation coached by former West Indian opener Phil Simmons, qualified for the Super Eights after a shock win over Bangladesh in the first round.

This time, however, New Zealand do have those genuine match-winners. The batting, especially, seems more powerful than it has ever been. In Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder, the Kiwis have their best opening pair in years. Both can tear apart attacks with ease, and both have a point to prove after having endured a miserable IPL season. The third ace in the batting pack is Ross Taylor, who is one of the best players of spin New Zealand have produced in years.

The all-round skills of Scott Styris and Jacob Oram are always handy.

Squad:
Daniel Vettori (capt), Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Brendon Diamanti, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Peter McGlashan, Kyle Mills, Iain O’Brien, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor

Key Players

Brendon McCullum: Burdened with captaincy by Knight Riders at the eleventh hour, this world-class wicket-keeper-batsman suddenly lost his touch only to find it when all was lost this IPL. Together with Jesse Ryder, he forms a lethal opening combo.

Daniel Vettori: Can a batsman be tied up in knots in T20? Watching Vettori bowl makes it appear possible. The left-arm spinner bowls such a tight line and length that anyone taking a risk against him does so at his own peril.

Vettori has a knack of being economical that often puts pressure on batsmen.