Tag: Ireland vs England

LONDON: England debutant fast bowler Josh Tongue marked his call-up to the Ashes squad with a five-wicket haul as England beat Ireland by 10 wickets in their warm-up match at Lord’s on Saturday.

After Tongue’s return of 5-66, it took England just four balls to score the 11 runs they needed for victory, with Zak Crawley hitting three fours off Mark Adair.

Ireland, yet to win any of their seven Tests, did well to take the match beyond tea on the third day of four as they avoided an innings defeat with a score of 362.

The tourists produced their own version of England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ batting style during a record Ireland stand of 163 between the seventh-wicket duo of Andy McBrine (86 not out) and Adair (88).

England’s win was built on an imposing first-innings total of 524-4 declared featuring player of the match Ollie Pope’s 205 and Ben Duckett’s 182.

Victory meant England had now won 11 of their 13 Tests under captain Ben Stokes — who didn’t bat or bowl in this match — and coach Brendon McCullum.

Ireland resumed on 97-3, a deficit of 255 runs, with opener James McCollum unable to bat again having retired hurt Friday after twisting his right ankle trying to pull Tongue.

Ireland lost just one wicket in Saturday’s opening hour, with Lorcan Tucker (44) and Harry Tector (51) in the runs.

But they were 162-6 when Curtis Campher miscued a sweep off Root to short fine leg where England captain Ben Stokes, who has been battling a longstanding knee injury, hobbled after taking a simple catch.

The dismissal was Stokes’s first direct involvement in a match where he has yet to bat or bowl.

England want to protect the all-rounder’s fitness ahead of the Ashes, while still benefitting from his leadership skills.

But there was not much he could do tactically as McBrine and Adair played shots worthy of top-order batsmen on a placid pitch against an attack missing James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, both rested ahead of the first Test against Australia at Edgbaston which starts on June 16.

Adair took Ireland to 200 by hoisting Root for six.

And the fast bowler, whose previous highest Test score was 32 against Bangladesh in Mirpur in April, went to fifty with a four off Stuart Broad.

Left-hander McBrine’s fifty kept included 10 boundaries, with Broad and Leach taking the brunt of the assault.

But number nine Adair was eventually bounced out by Matthew Potts for a 76-ball 88 that included 12 fours and two sixes.

With Ireland nine wickets down after Fionn Hand’s exit, England were able to extend the afternoon session by 30 minutes in a bid to force victory before tea.

England were denied an innings win, however, when tailender Graham Hume hit two fours off successive deliveries from part-time off-spinner Joe Root — shots greeted by huge cheers from a sun-drenched crowd.

With McBrine 85 not out at tea, the question was whether Hume could stay in long enough to get his partner to a hundred and a coveted place on the Lord’s honours board.

But McBrine was left stranded when Hume was bowled by Broad.

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LONDON: Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett both compiled record-breaking centuries before debutant Josh Tongue took his first wickets in Test cricket as England continued to dominate their Ashes warm-up against Ireland on Friday’s second day at Lord’s.

Pope’s 205, the fastest double hundred in a Test in England, and Duckett’s 182, the quickest 150 in a Test at Lord’s, were the cornerstones of a huge first innings total of 524-4 declared.

Ireland then slumped to 18-2 in their second innings before reaching 97-3 at stumps, with fast bowler Tongue, who struck twice in an over, taking all the wickets in a return of 3-27 in eight overs.

Harry Tector (33 not out) and Lorcan Tucker (21 not out) held firm on a good pitch but Ireland were still 255 runs away from avoiding an innings defeat.

“A hundred at Lord’s is special,” Duckett told Sky Sports. “Batting with Ollie Pope was a breeze, really enjoyable to be at the other end watching him play.”

Worcestershire quick Tongue had gone wicketless on Thursday.

But in another selection coup for coach Brendon McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes, he struck with his first ball Friday when Peter Moore was plumb lbw for 11.

Five balls later, Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie — who had avoided the embarrassment of a ‘pair’ at the Home of Cricket — was caught behind carelessly chasing a wide ball from Tongue.

Ireland now risked being beaten inside two days in a match scheduled for four rather than the usual Test maximum of five.

James McCollum, who had top-scored for Ireland with 36 on Thursday, then retired hurt on 12 after twisiting his right ankle trying to pull a Tongue short ball.

Tongue then had Paul Stirling out gloving down the legside to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

“Tonguey was also exceptional,” said Duckett. “He has got that X-factor that hopefully we can use tomorrow. Stokesy will have crazy fields and it will be exciting.”

Earlier, Duckett and Pope ran riot against an outclassed attack lacking the experience of the Ireland bowling unit that reduced England to 85 all out in a corresponding Lord’s clash four years ago.

Both batsmen scored a hundred runs in a session on Friday, left-hander Duckett achieving the feat in the morning’s play and Pope in the afternoon.

And Duckett, by making a run-a ball 150, surpassed Australia great Don Bradman’s record of 166 balls for the fastest Test 150 at Lord’s, in what was also the England opener’s first Test on home soil.

Ireland, in just their seventh Test and still searching for a first win at this level, had few answers to the run-spree, with seamers Mark Adair and debutant Fionn Hand both conceding over 100 runs each.

Joe Root helped himself to 55 as he became just the 11th batsman, and second Englishman after Alastair Cook, to score 11,000 Test runs before giving his wicket away.

Pope, went on to a maiden Test double century after tea in style, driving off-spinner Andy McBrine for six to reach the landmark in just 207 balls faced.

But the next delivery saw a charging Pope stumped comfortably, with Stokes then declaring.

England had resumed just 20 runs behind, after veteran seamer Stuart Broad had taken 5-51 in Ireland’s first innings 172 on Thursday.

Duckett was 60 not out, with England vice-captain Pope unbeaten on 29.

A morning and wicktless run spree took England to 325-1 at lunch.

Duckett eventually played-on to medium-pacer Graham Hume, having faced 178 balls, including 24 fours and a six.

The first Ashes Test at Edgbaston starts on June 16 but before then Australia face India in next week’s World Test Championship final at the Oval.

PAARL: Sophie Ecclestone’s magnificent spell powered England to bundle out Ireland for a meagre 105 before Alice Capsey’s half-century led the side to a four-wicket victory in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

After opting to bat first, Ireland’s batting lineup failed to impress as the side bundled out for a mere 105 runs in the 19th over.

Opening batter Gaby Lewis remained the top-scorer for her side with 36 off 37 deliveries while Orla Prendergast (17) was the other notable run-getter for the Irish side.

Besides their top four, the rest of the Irish batting lineup collapsed with none of them could amass double figures.

Ecclestone led the bowling attack for England with 3/13 in her four overs while Sarah Glenn returned with 3/19. Charlie Dean picked up two wickets.

Set to chase 106, England amassed the total in the 15th over for the loss of six wickets at the back of a valiant half-century by Capsey.

Capsey stitched a gritty second-wicket partnership with Danni Wyatt after England’s shaky start as Sophia Dunkley and made sure England get over the line despite a late collapse that saw England slipping from 70/1 to 103/6.

Right-handed batter Capsey top-scored for her side with a quickfire 51 off just 22 deliveries, hitting 10 boundaries and a six.

Cara Murray glimmered a ray of hope for Ireland with her magnificent bowling spell as she picked up three wickets for just 15 runs but the total on board was not enough to guide her side to victory.

Arlene Kelly and Orla Prendergast struck out a batter each for Ireland.

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POTCHEFSTROOM: England’s skipper Grace Scrivens struck a quickfire 93 to power her side to a mammoth 207/2 before bowlers propelled them to a resounding 121-run victory over Ireland in the Super Six clash of the ongoing ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup.

After opting to bat first, England raised a massive 207/2 at the back of a combined brilliance of their top four batters with skipper Scrivens leading the way with a brisk 93.

Earlier, English openers gave their side a flying start as they stitched a magnificent 136-run partnership for the first wicket inside 13 overs before Aimee Maguire castled Liberty Heap to provide her side with a much-needed breakthrough.

Heap fell eight short of her half-century as she scored 42 off 29 balls and smashed seven boundaries.

Following Heap’s departure, Scrivens stitched a brief partnership for England as she added 22 runs for the second wicket with Niamh Holland before falling to Freya Sargent in the 16th over.

She top-scored for England with 93 off just 56 balls, hitting 15 boundaries and two sixes.

Besides the openers, top-order batter Holland (34*) and wicketkeeper batter Seren Smale (30*) also made significant contributions and made sure their side surpassed the 200-run mark.

For Ireland, only Maguire and Sargent could pick up a wicket.

Set to chase a mammoth 208, the Irish batting lineup failed completely and bundled out for a mere 86 in response.

Middle-order batter Abbi Harrison offered a brief fightback with her gritty 16-run knock and top-scored for her side.

Besides Harrison, only Maguire (14) and skipper Siuin Woods (13) could breach the double figures as the rest of the Irish batters failed against a strong English bowling attack.

Hannah Baker and Sophia Smale led the way for England with the ball as they both took three wickets each, while Ryana MacDonald-Gay and Scrivens made one scalp apiece.

Meanwhile, in another Super Six clash, New Zealand edged Rwanda by four wickets to script a winning start to the second phase of their campaign.

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