WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s out-of-favour batman Jesse Ryder kept pressure on the selectors when bludgeoned 136 from 57 balls against Ireland on Thursday.

Ryder punished the Ireland attack when his provincial side Otago took on the visitors in a one-dayer at Lincoln on the South Island.

He belted a century off 39 balls and notched eight sixes and 18 fours before being dismissed as Otago won by three wickets.

Ryder was dropped from the Black Caps in February after a late-night drinking session in the latest in a series of off-field indiscretions. He played the most recent of 48 ODIs against India in January.

Head coach Mike Hesson is reluctant to pick Ryder until he is convinced the player’s poor disciplinary record is history. But Hesson has spoken to the opener since his return from a successful stint with the English county side Essex.

Hesson indicated this month that Ryder’s international career was not necessarily over but “he’s got a lot of ground to make up”.

The Blacks Caps are struggling to find a winning one-day opening batting partnership ahead of next year’s World Cup, with Ryder offering a potential solution if he resolves his off-field problems.

South Africa cruised to a six-wicket win over New Zealand in the first One-day International on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2014