Andy Balbirnie will have a new opening partner for next week’s one-off Test match against New Zealand in Belfast with injured veteran Paul Stirling certain to be ruled out of the four-day game at Stormont.

Much as the Ireland skipper would like to have his old mate striding out alongside him to face the Kiwi attack on Wednesday it’s highly unlikely Stirling’s name will be in the squad when it is announced today.

The 35-year-old’s T20 World Cup was cut short by a serious knee injury in February and he lasted fewer than two overs of his comeback game in the Emerald Challenge this week before limping off with what appeared to be a calf strain.

It’s inconceivable that Stirling will be risked in the highest profile game of the summer and with PJ Moor having retired from international cricket his place at the top of the order will be taken by either Stephen Doheny or Jake Egan.

Doheny batted at seven in Ireland’s last Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka and promoting the Merrion man to a more familiar position would allow Cade Carmichael, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker to stay put, but Australian-born Egan is the man in form.

The 22-year-old from Perth was a late call up for the Emerald Challenge — the unofficial Test trial — and took his chance wonderfully with a well-paced century as the Northern Strikers beat the Southern Raiders by six wickets at Malahide.

Egan showed the grit and application that will be needed against New Zealand as he batted more than four-and-a-half hours for 120 runs in what was his first-class debut.