1st T20 international: Ireland 196-3 (20 ovs) (H Tector 61no, L Tucker 55; A Rashid 1-36) lost to England 197-6 (17.4 ovs) (P Salt 89; G Hume 2-36, M Humphreys 2-44) by four wickets
Ireland have lost their unbeaten record against England in T20 internationals. Those cautioning that Wednesday’s series-opener in Malahide was only the third meeting between the teams in this format would be correct, but not very enjoyable company.
As anticipated given their destruction of South Africa in recent weeks, England’s batters were far too good for an injury-depleted Irish bowling attack. Phil Salt and Jos Buttler rained fury upon green-clad bowlers from the off, England making what should have been a competitive chase of 197 look all too easy.
That Ireland, batting first after losing the toss, reached such a score ensured this hammering didn’t turn into an embarrassment. Harry Tector (61 not out) showed why selectors were keen to move him up the order to number three. His partnership with Lorcan Tucker (55) broke a number of records but Ireland’s total always looked light, a sedate start in the powerplay coming back to haunt them.
RM Block
Ireland were solid, England devastating. Not an overly surprising script.
For all the talk of Ireland’s barren fixture list coming into this fixture, their batting display was better than expected. Paul Stirling drove his second ball to the fence with a customary stroke through the covers. He then welcomed Liam Dawson into the game with a straight heave over the ropes.
Ross Adair wasn’t as fluid as he was beaten for pace by Jamie Overton, not least when edging a short ball into the grill of his helmet. When he got it right, though, Adair showed why he is so valued by the Irish set-up, taking on Overton with a series of strong shots down the ground.
It was a controlled, if slightly sluggish start, from the Irish opening pair, putting on 57 for the first wicket. Stirling and Adair then departed in consecutive overs, both caught in the deep off English spinners.
On paper, given the record of this Irish middle order in T20 cricket when faced with slower bowling, that could have been England’s opening to assert their dominance. Tector and Tucker assured that it wasn’t.
Tector drove Rehan Ahmed’s first leg-spin offering beautifully through the covers. He swept the experienced Adil Rashid over midwicket twice. Tucker took a liking to left-arm quick Luke Wood, pulling dismissively and driving elegantly.
The partnership was perfectly paced by this Irish pair. The 15th over – Tucker’s take down of Wood – signalled the start of the acceleration. The final five went for 63, Tucker ending as the aggressor when punishing a series of missed yorkers from Sam Curran.
Tector’s 50, his first since moving up to number three, came off 31 balls. Tucker’s came from 35. Capitalising on a sluggish display from an experienced England attack, their stand of 123 was a third-wicket record for Ireland. It was the country’s fourth highest T20 partnership ever.
It was a case of Ireland moving steadily through the gears, rather than launching a game-winning onslaught. Given England’s superior firepower, 196 looked competitive without being a winning score.
Enter Salt and Buttler to burst Ireland’s balloon. Against South Africa last week, they hit a record powerplay score, reaching 100 without loss. By comparison, Ireland may well take comfort from the first six costing just 84 runs. The game was nonetheless quickly up.
Salt found the boundary twice in the first over, Matthew Humphreys’s opening offering costing 11 runs. Barry McCarthy upped the bet by conceding 17 in the second. The third, bowled by Graham Hume, was a bloodbath. His military medium was made to look like club bowling by Buttler, five of the six deliveries launched with disdain to the fence. It was a tough watch.
Buttler’s departure, skying the returning Humphreys, only slightly slowed England’s canter. Salt had his share of luck, being called back after holing out off Tector for a waist-high no ball, while a pull into the deep just evaded a diving Curtis Campher.
England’s young captain Jacob Bethell departed after taking down Tector’s off-spinners. Hume returned to pick up a handful of consolation scalps, while England’s insistence on finishing the game quickly ensured a steady stream of departures which added a false sheen to the scorecard.
Ireland simply did not have the tools to stop England from scoring on a good pitch with short straight boundaries. Barring a change in conditions, there is little to suggest that changes on Friday.
