Ali Martin's match report from Trent Bridge
As the stewards litter pick the stands, and the players pack up, time for us to go too. A decent performance in the end by an inexperienced England side with four new caps, despite that frustrating last-wicket stand by Ireland.
Brilliant for Will Jacks and Sam Hain, who both narrowly fell short of their hundreds, though the momentum dipped towards the end of the innings. With the ball, Rehan Ahmed was the stardust – four wickets in a zipping ten over spell. As Eoin Morgan said, it was great to watch him “get a groove for the fifty over game.” Steady accuracy from Hartley, familiar speed and power from Potts and Carse, and a really brave and impressive comeback from Scrimshaw after those agonising first two overs. I liked Crawley’s comments: “You give people a chance, not everyone gets off to a flier. I know that’s the case with my career.”
For Ireland, a poor start with the ball was hard to claw back, though they gave England a scare with that last-wicket stand in the final overs. A very good day for George Dockrell.
We’ll be back for the final ODI at Bristol on Tuesday, till then – goodnight!
Updated
Paul Stirling “We didn’t really rock up for the first half hour…proud of how the lads came back. It’s our last game of the season so the energy levels should be right up [for the next match], love the fight in the second innings, just need to do that for longer periods of time. Dockrell had a great game with both bat and ball.”
Zak Crawley “I thought anything above 300 was a good score, they played well. Rehan brave with his fields. Really impressed with how Scrimshaw bounced back, you give people a chance, not everyone gets off to a flier. I know that’s the case with my career.”
Nicely done.
God that was quick, it must be cold at Trent Bridge, we’re already on to the presentations….the player of the match is Will Jacks
“We got off to a great start, once the Irish guys found their length it was much harder from there. It was nice to try and find the flow of 50 over cricket, we don’t play much, we’re learning on the job. We thought we had a really good score, we weren’t perfect but good enough.”
WICKET! Little c Carse b Scrimshaw 29 (Ireland 286 all out) England win by 48 runs!
46.4 over: Ireland 286 (Young 40) The fifty partnership comes up from 48 balls. Little flays Scrimshaw over cover for four, before finally cracking the ball to long-on. After all the early trauma, Scrimshaw finishes with three, and what was suddenly feeling like a dangerous situation turns into an easy England win.
46th over: Ireland 280-9 (Young 39, Little 25) In a day of unusual England bowling, Potts releases a wide Mr Blobby of a ball. And BANG six more by Josh Little. Ireland need 55 from 24 and er, is this possible?
45th over: Ireland 267-9 (Young 33, Little 17) This last Irish pair frustating England, who just can’t take the final wicket. Little defends away Carse’s 88mph yorker in an infuriating puff of dust.
44th over: Ireland 264-9 (Young 32, Little 17) Potts now, surely the executioner. And yet no. Scrimshaw on the rope slides inelegantly and accidentally knocks the ball over the rope.
43rd over: Ireland 257-9 (Young 31, Little 12) Carse again, fires in, walks slowly back. Ireland defend and remain. The required run-rate, in the unlikely event it should be needed, is 11.
42nd over: Ireland 246-9 (Young 27, Little 4) Little misses a reverse-sweep off Jacks, Smith whips off the bails, but he’s safe. Four from an ugly but effective whoop straight.
41st over: Ireland 245-9 (Young 27, Little 4) The game dying a slow death here, as Carse sprints in from the shade. Little, still in the sun, upper cuts him, magnificently, back over his head for four.
40th over: Ireland 241-9 (Young 27, Little 0) Eventful – a wide, a no-ball and a thud-of-the-club six from Young. Apparently this is first time any team has bowled nine no balls in an innings since Pakistan in 2016 – which actually doesn’t seem that long ago.
39th over: Ireland 231-9 (Young 18, Little 0) Excellent from Carse, fast – 89mph - and accurate. Little lucky to survive his third ball as the ball nearly rolls back into the stumps.
WICKET! McCarthy b Carse 41 (Ireland 231-9)
Neck and crop, teapot and spout. Middle stump out of the ground. Smashing little innings by McCarthy off just 38 balls.
Updated
37th over: Ireland 219-8 (McCarthy 38, Young 13) Carse is the latest to feel the thwack of McCarthy’s bat, this time through midwicket for four. An lbw appeal by Carse, captain Crawley calls for the review, but it would have missed leg stump.
36th over: Ireland 214-8 (McCarthy 33, Young 13) Scrimshaw, feet carefully lined up at the top of his mark, picks up. Risks a smile. Singles, then McCarthy muscles into a shorter one and powers it square for four.
Updated
35th over: Ireland 205-8 (McCarthy 26, Young 12) Hartley resumes, tall, slim, curate-esque. In the shady parts of the crowd, fleeces are ON.McCarthy has a dart to tje last ball but it falls short of the fielder and that’s the end of his maiden international spell, nicely tidy: 10-0-48-0.
Updated
34th over: Ireland 201-8 (McCarthy 24, Young 10) Two hundred up in decent time, but not too much to come for Ireland in the batting locker. Scimshaw paddled here and there for a handful of singles and a two. They take DRINKS.
33rd over: Ireland 195-8 (McCarthy 22, Young 6) Young doesn’t hang around, laying into Hartley and pinging him for six.
32nd over: Ireland 188-8 (McCarthy 21, Young 0) A sensationally dramatic tumble and throw by Phil Salt in the field cuts off a four, and two balls later Salt is in the action again catching Dockrell for a fine 43. Ahmed’s fourth wicket in a fabulous little spell, full of spitting googlies and cocky temptation.
WICKET! Dockrell c Salt b Ahmed 43 (Ireland 188-8)
Dockrell is tempted, goes for it, but it is the magic googly again and he fluffs the connection, hitting out just to the waiting Phil Salt. Ireland down and nearly out.
31st over: Ireland 185-7 (Dockrell 42, McCarthy 19) Hartley drags one short which is pulled to square leg by Dockrell for four. And we tick over.
30th over: Ireland 176-7 (Dockrell 35, McCarthy 17) Ahmed making it tricky for the batters to settle, mixing up the pace, in that golden hour before the sun sets, a huge diagonal shadow about to cross the pitch. I hope people have remember their gloves – it’ll be very chilly soon, if it isn’t already.
29th over: Ireland 176-7 (Dockrell 35, McCarthy 17) This time McCarthy goes one better, stepping down to Hartley and chunking it over long on for six.
28th over: Ireland 169-7 (Dockrell 34, McCarthy 11) McCarthy having a good old slog, and why not, tucks into Ahmed with two consecutive fours. Ireland might as well go for this, no point in a slow death.
27th over: Ireland 161-7 (Dockrell 34,McCarthy 3) Ireland back to just plucking singles from HArtley.
26th over: Ireland 158-7 (Dockrell 33,McCarthy 1) Beautiful bowling by Ahmed, despite being smashed for six by Dockrell first ball.
An email! “Why do you never see a bowler in no ball trouble, even as deep as Scrimshaw, just start his run, say, a foot further back. Is it because of those marks painted on the field, or would they find it too hard to bowl the right length? I’m sure in past times I’ve seen a bowler move the marker they used to use.” I’m afraid this isn’t my area of speciality Adrian Riley – but I guess it is quite an exact science so you can’t just faff about.
WICKET! Adair lbw Ahmed 12 (Ireland 157-7)
The googly again… umpires call for impact,and the review shows plumply hitting leg stump. And that’s Ahmed’s first three-wicket haul in only his ninth 50-over match.
Updated
REVIEW LBW! Adair lbw Ahmed 12
A googly, given out, but Adair calls for a replay….
25th over: Ireland 150-6 (Dockrell 26, Adair 12) Already a surprise when Hartley goes for runs, Adair doesn’t want to die quietly, slamming six over midwicket, shovelled for four more. Just escapes being caught at midwicket.
24th over: Ireland 138-6 (Dockrell 25, Adair 1) Great little ball from Ahmed, who takes the wicket in his stride, chewing his gum as he jogs down the pitch to celebrate.
WICKET! McBrine b Ahmed 4 (Ireland 137-6)
The googly! McBrine prods tentatively and the ball pitches, rips, enough, and pings into off stump.
Updated
23rd over: Ireland 136-5 (Dockrell 24, McBrine 4) Tom Hartley: to the manner born. 4-0-9-0, as the sun starts to slip towards the horizon.
22nd over: Ireland 135-5 (Dockrell 23, McBrine 4) Dockrell smacks Ahmed’s googly with a dismissive ping of the grill pan, up it goes, and over long on, where it seems to have disappeared. The umpires bring new balls out, but then the old one is found. Seven from the over
21st over: Ireland 128-5 (Dockrell 16, McBrine 4) Four dots for Mr Accuracy Hartley, and some fabulous fielding from Sam Hain stops a sweep from crossing the rope.
Updated
20th over: Ireland 124-5 (Dockrell 15, McBrine 1 ) A back-tapping victory for team Ahmed-Crawley for not pushing the field back. Some nice relay- fielding in the deep too – this young England side have been excellent in the field today.
WICKET! Tector c Jacks b Ahmed 39 (Ireland 121-5)
Ahmed asks the question, Tector goes big, and high, but not long enough as Jacks runs backwards in the bright autumn sunlight and holds on with his right hand! Temptation – so difficult to resist.
Updated
19th over: Ireland 121-4 (Tector 39, Dockrell 13) Both Hartley and Ahmed whizzing through their overs here. And just two from it.
18th over: Ireland 119-4 (Tector 38, Dockrell 12) Rehan Ahmed is bashed for two hook-a-duck fours over the top of mid-on. Will Crawley push mid-on back? No. Bazball till the end.
17th over: Ireland 109-4 (Tector 37, Dockrell 3)The tall slim Tom Hartley, another debutant, gets his chance and it passes by both parsimoniously and without incident,.
16th over: Ireland 107-4 (Tector 36, Dockrell 2) A bit of pick and mix of an over from Rehan Ahmed that includes a full toss and a fizzer.
15th over: Ireland 105-4 (Tector 35, Dockrell 1) Scrimshaw’s figures looking much more cheerful now 6-0-46-2, and he even allows himself a little smile at the end of the over. That Duckett catch really was incredible, remember, if you can, Russell Grant being shot out of the cannon in Strictly.
WICKET! Tucker c Duckett b Scrimshaw 11 (Ireland 103-4)
Soaring, salmon-like catch from little Ben Duckett at midwicket after Tucker lines up a short ball for the pull. Scrimshaw and Duckett – the dream combo!
Updated
14th over: Ireland 102-3 (Tucker 11, Tector 33) Enter Rehan Ahmed, a young man who seems nerveless from the outside, tossing the ball from hand to hand. His second ball is invitingly wide and duly slapped to the rope by the impressive-looking Tector.
Tanya, hi.
Ireland are scoring quite freely being over 7 runs per over. Surely they can’t keep it up.
Graham of Helsinki
You wouldn’t have thought so, … but here’s another eight off Rehan Ahmed.
13th over: Ireland 94-3 (Tucker 9, Tector 26) Crawley has positioned himself just by Scrimshaw’s shoulder. But it’s good again, tidy, just two from it. He takes his hat, though still looks slightly dazed by the whole thing.
12th over: Ireland 92-3 (Tucker 8, Tector 26) Not a bad crowd at Trent Bridge for late September. Carse has a third over, which includes a slower ball wide and the most scrumptious off drive by Tucker .
Updated
11th over: Ireland 85-3 (Tucker 0, Tector 23) A change of ends for Scrimshaw, long arms and legs with a touch of Les Taylor to the moustache. I’m impressed by how fast he sprints to the crease, in his situation I’d be walking in. Five singles from it as Ireland press for no-risk runs.
10th over: Ireland 80-3 (Tucker 0, Tector 23) Carse, springs in, tall, tattoo, shirt untucked. A no ball is pancaked through point, the free-hit shovelled down the ground. The inexperience of this bowling attack showing here.
9th over: Ireland 69-3 (Tucker 0, Tector 14) A second wicket for Potts coming the ball after Campher had cut him through backward point for four. Potts skilful and solid.
WICKET! Campher c Smith b Potts 9 (Ireland 69-3)
A wobble, a nick, a low catch that looks more dubious in real life than it does on replay. Off Campher trudges.
8th over: Ireland 64-2 (Campher 5, Tector 13) Carse replaces Scrimshaw, which from a humanitarian point of view seems sensible, time to breathe in the field, with a positive last over. Carse himself doesn’t have a great first ball, a fat wide one, screamed through the covers by Tector, but regains control for the rest of the over.
7th over: Ireland 59-2 (Campher 5, Tector 8) Tector flexes his neck and settles in, driving Potts’ first ball perfectly through the covers for four. Campher finishes the over with four more, a slower ball, dispatched once more through the covers.
6th over: Ireland 48-2 (Campher 0, Tector 1) Crawley plumps for keeping Scrimshaw on with two new batters at the crease and a wicket in his back pocket. And it’s fine, it really is. No extras, just a single off it. And he unfolds a little bit.
5th over: Ireland 47-2 (Campher 0, Tector 1) England suddenly on top again, with two new batters at the crease.
Updated
WICKET! Stirling b Potts 25 (Ireland 46-2)
A beauty from Potts, which squeezes through bat and pad.
Updated
4th over: Ireland 46-1 (Stirling 25) I feel like the crowd are holding their breath as much as I am, as Crawley throws the ball to Scrimshaw again. First ball is safe. Second helped on its way, legside for four. Third a dot. Fourth a wide. Fifth a no ball. Sixth a free hit which Stirling pulls for six. Scrimshaw then falls over in his follow through. The next ball is smashed for six, which is another no ball. He’s shaking his head and looks like he might cry. Then, redemption, as Balbirnie edges to Duckett at slip. Scrimshaw looks distraught as the finger is raised, waiting for another no ball. But it doesn’t come, the wicket stands. He looks dazed as his teammates congratulate him, and the umpire pats him on the shoulder.
WICKET! Balbirnie c Duckett b Scrimshaw 14 (Ireland 46-1)
The most important catch Ben Duckett will ever take after another hellish over for poor Scrimshaw.
Updated
3rd over: Ireland 28-0 (Balbirnie 14, Stirling 10) Some calm returns with Potts, with just six runs and no extras.
2nd over: Ireland 22-0 (Balbirnie 9, Stirling 9) A nightmarish over for poor George Scrimshaw . His first ball in international cricket is a no ball; but the free hit passes harmlessly by. A second no ball follows, and this time Balbirnie tucks into the free hit, which is picked up and slammed to the cover boundary. Ah man, a third no ball, and Scrimshaw stands at the top of his mark and looks at his toes. Crawley comes and pats him on the back, but another no ball follows. He shakes his thick head of dark hair, and the free hit is smashed by Sirling. right back past Scrimshaw for four. 17 from a long and painful over.
Updated
1st over: Ireland 5-0 (Balbirnie 1, Stirling 4) Potts in big white trainers has the new ball, and Balbirne is off the mark with a clip. Four comes from a squarish drive from Farmer Giles figure Paul Stirling.
Ireland need 335 to win at 6.7
Here we go!
Captain Zak Crawley,stands at the front of his team huddle, smiling, hands in pockets, towering over his teammates. I heard Ebony RB say on the radio that he was one of the quieter members of the dressing room, so interested to see how he’ll find leadership.
Updated
Want to read more about Mr List A Sam Hain? Just click here.
Folks can read about Sam Hain here 🚉 https://t.co/YJCrOuGS4O
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) September 23, 2023
While the players tuck into chicken and rice, Ian Ward hosts a Nasser-Morgan-Doull chatathon on the World Cup. Their conclusions: India favourtites but not overwhelmingly. Doull plumps for South Africa, just for the lols. Who do you fancy to lift the trophy on November 19?
Thanks Simon! And hello and welcome to this second ODI against Ireland, this time at Trent Bridge. We’re currently in the interval and Eoin Morgan, in a baby blue which belies his views, is dissecting the innings: “England were good and Ireland really poor.”
Before I go, Brian Withington writes: “Gary Naylor proving extremely prescient with his 26th over exhortation to keep an eye on the ball at all times, but perhaps the unfortunate spectator clocked by that ricochet from Carse’s six took the well-intentioned advice rather too literally?” Well, indeed.
50 overs: England 334-8 (Hartley 12, Potts 3) Hain’s wicket is followed by four singles, but McCarthy’s final ball of the innings turns out to be a no-ball. They go again, and Potts miscues for another single.
After a brilliant start England never quite got motoring, and their dip for the line turned out to be an actual dip. Ireland need 335, which is six more than they needed back in August 2020 when this happened:
Tanya Aldred will be here imminently to take you through Ireland’s reply. Bye!
WICKET! Hain c McBrine b McCarthy 89 (England 327-8)
There will be no fairytale century for Hain on debut, as he skies one to McBrine, running round from mid-off.
Updated
49th over: England 328-7 (Hain 89, Hartley 10) Adair’s last. Hain ends the boundary drought by lifting the first over mid-off for four, not really a clean hit but it’ll do. Then he lifts one to third, where McBrine can’t reach it before it lands but gets close enough to have no time to react to the bounce, which hits him in the chest. Then he biffs over long off for four more. The last he rather miscues, and he groans in frustration as it rolls to a fielder, but still, a single, and he’s on strike for the last, and within sniffing distance of three figures.
48th over: England 315-7 (Hain 76, Hartley 10) Little’s last. Hartley clubs one over cover for four, but otherwise it’s a diet of singles for England. Hain has only hit one boundary since the 39th over.
47th over: England 306-7 (Hain 75, Hartley 2) Other than that ropey first ball, which also brought his first wicket of the day, that’s another good over from Adair.
WICKET! Rehan c McCarthy b Adair 6 (England 300 for seven)
I’m not sure what McCarthy was trying to bowl here, but it certainly wasn’t that. It’s a full toss, and only just – high enough for Rehan to aim a quizzical look at the umpire before leaving the field – but again Rehan doesn’t get anywhere close to middling it and it gives mid-off an easy catch.
46th over: England 300-6 (Hain 71, Rehan 6) Rehan Ahmed is certainly swinging his bat with plenty of intent. He’s just not hitting the ball with the middle of it. Still, 10 off the over, and England reach 300.
Updated
45th over: England 290-6 (Hain 66, Rehan 2) Four runs off Adair’s eighth over, all singles. Will we get any late-innings fireworks? If so, it may be time to light the fuse.
Updated
WICKET! Carse c Stirling b Little 32 (England 286 for six)
44th over: England 286-6 (Hain 64) Little starts his ninth over with a beamer that flies past Carse at shoulder height, and there follows a ramped four from Hain and a straight six from Carse, which provokes more misery in the stands as it bounces up and hits a spectator in the eye. Then Carse hits the final ball of the over, a slow bouncer, straight to extra cover, where Stirling takes another catch.
Updated
43rd over: England 273-5 (Hain 59, Carse 25) Carse misjudges his attempt to pull Adair’s bouncer, which thunks him on the side of the head. He’s immediately grinning and reassuring all enquirers that he’s fine, but England’s physio still has to run through the concussion protocols before play can continue. A fine over, with excellent variations of pace and length.
42nd over: England 268-5 (Hain 57, Carse 23) Carse flexes his muscles now, and sends one past deep backward square leg for four. That’s Little’s eighth over, and he’s had precious little encouragement in any of them.
41st over: England 259-5 (Hain 55, Carse 17) An extraordinary delivery from McCarthy, a slow bouncer that is not just remarkably slow but also a bit down leg, and thus a wide. Carse was entirely flummoxed by it, though.
40th over: England 251-5 (Hain 52, Carse 14) A single off Dockrell’s first takes Hain to a debut half-century in his debut England innings, off 52 balls, and he’s looking every inch the seasoned international. Into the last 10 overs, and England will be eyeing a total in the neighbourhood of 350, if not quite all the way there, from here.
39th over: England 246-5 (Hain 49, Carse 12) Lovely pull from Hain off McCarthy, swivelling his wrists to keep it terrestrial and it rolls away for four.
38th over: England 237-5 (Hain 42, Carse 10) After four dots, Dockrell bowls a bit too wide and Carse steers it through the covers for four.
Updated
37th over: England 231-5 (Hain 42, Carse 4) McBrine had been the most expensive, but just four off this set lets him hands that baton to Josh Little.
36th over: England 227-5 (Hain 40, Carse 2) Four off the over, and in addition to taking three wickets Dockrell is currently also the most economical of Ireland’s bowlers.
WICKET! Smith c Little b Dockrell 9 (England 223-5)
Another big swing from Smith, again he doesn’t quite time it, and this time Josh Little’s standing underneath it when it comes down!
Updated
35th over: England 223-4 (Hain 38, Smith 9) Smith swings his bat at Little’s final delivery but doesn’t quite get enough on it, and they have to add a three to the four singles that preceded it.
34th over: England 216-4 (Hain 36, Smith 4) Adair lets the ball go through his legs in the outfield, but his fingertips take just enough pace off it to stop it limping to the boundary.
33rd over: England 210-4 (Hain 33, Smith 1) Two debutants in the middle now, and with the batting in this England side looking a bit shallower than usual Ireland have pulled this back well. In other news apologies for the fact that the scoring’s been a little all over the place these last few overs. I would promise it’ll improve in future, but there’s a good chance it won’t. Anyway, I’ve gone back and corrected it all (I think) now.
32nd over: England 205-4 (Hain 29, Smith 0) One single and three dots from Dockrell’s first four deliveries, and the carrot of a first international century, encouraged Jacks to go big, but he follows Duckett (out a little earlier for 48) in carrying a big bag of regret back to the dressing room.
Updated
WICKET! Jacks c Balbirnie b Dockrell 94 (England 205-4)
Will Jacks looks to take the fast route to his century … and doesn’t make it! Balbirnie takes an easy catch in the deep, and that’s him done!
Updated
31st over: England 204-3 (Jacks 94, Hain 28) Hain gives Young a bit of biff, hitting successive deliveries past point and over mid-off, both for fours. A point of clarification from Gary Naylor, referring back to his comment of the 26th over: “A bit of humbuggery, but not quite so much, because it referred to the incident when the ball hit the spectator - though I’m not blaming him individually of course! Mankads are fine with me!” Ah yes, obvious in hindsight. And in just sight, really. I’m not sure he wasn’t looking – I think he might have just completely fluffed a catch.
Updated
30th over: England 194-3 (Jacks 93, Hain 19) And there it (possibly) is! Dockrell bowls, Jacks lifts it high over backward square leg for six, and that is a fine shot. Add a few singles and a brace of twos and that’s 13 off the over, England’s most productive since the third.
Updated
29th over: England 181-3 (Jacks 85, Hain 14) England have dipped below a run a ball in this 10-over period, scoring 48 runs. Time perhaps for a bit of an acceleration.
28th over: England 176-3 (Jacks 80, Hain 14) Hain seems to be playing with a smile on his face, which is super to see in a potentially nerve-wracked debutant. He biffs McCarthy through mid-on for four, which is worth a grin.
27th over: England 170-3 (Jacks 79, Hain 9) Another decent over for Ireland, though Adair ends it with a full toss that Jacks not only fails to punish, he gets a slight inside edge on it, and it only just misses off stump.
Updated
26th over: England 166-3 (Jacks 77, Hain 7) Another chance for Tector at backward point! Hain drives aerially, and it bursts through the fielder’s hands. The batter celebrates by hitting the next delivery over mid-on for four. “I’ve been amazed for years about the lack of warnings to ‘keep your eye on the f***ing ball’ at all cricket matches,” says Gary Naylor of that mankad incident in Bangladesh. “It’s made even worse by scoreboards showing distracting stuff right up until the bowler releases the ball. And the ear-splitting music of course.” Outstanding levels of humbuggery there, Mr Naylor.
Updated
25th over: England 159-3 (Jacks 76, Hain 1) I’m afraid I spent most of that over tapping at my calculator. As a result I can inform you that Hain needs to score 187 to rise to the top of that list today, or 127 if he’s not out. And as it happens it was the day’s first maiden, from Adair.
Updated
24th over: England 159-2 (Jacks 76, Hain 1) And so Sam Hain, author of the second-highest career List A average in the entire history of cricket, wields bat in anger for England’s senior side for the first time. It’s tight at the top there: Hain could sink as low as fifth in the list if he has a bad day here.
WICKET! Duckett c Adair b Dockrell 48 (England 158-3)
Duckett tries to paddle his way to his half-century, but Adair sees it coming, runs even finer from short fine leg, and is rewarded with a simple catch!
Updated
23rd over: England 156-2 (Jacks 75, Duckett 47) A four off the first, and nearly a wicket off the second – there is a sound on the stump mic as the ball passes Jacks’ inside edge, but UltraEdge finds nothing to get excited about, and anyway the umpire didn’t give it and Ireland didn’t review.
22nd over: England 152-2 (Jacks 71, Duckett 47) George Dockrell’s first over, the sixth bowler to have a go for Ireland. England bring up their 150 off the fourth ball of it.
21st over: England 146-2 (Jacks 69, Duckett 43) Mark Adair comes back into the attack, and Duckett welcomes him by hitting the opening delivery for four.
Meanwhile in Bangladesh, the inevitable post-mankad-related-incident debate is in full flow:
Captain Litton Das called back Sodhi, after he spoke to the umpire. Maybe due to the good spirit between the teams, but looked weird. Why bring him back when he is clearly run out?
— Mohammad Isam (@Isam84) September 23, 2023
20th over: England 141-2 (Jacks 69, Duckett 38) Ooof! A really tasty opening delivery from Little nips back off the seam, completely beats Jacks and goes just a smidge over off stump. And double oof! He leathers the next one over midwicket for six! We don’t see where the ball lands, but we do see someone rubbing his head while the woman next to him offers support, and soon they’re led away by St John Ambulance staff. He’s wearing what looks like a thick fabric baseball cap, which might have provided some very important protection.
Meanwhile in Bangladesh, New Zealand are 224 for eight and there’s just been some mankad-based drama:
Tremendous, Hasan Mahmud mankads Sodhi, then when he is well on his way to the dressing room, brings him back. Sodhi gives Mahmud a hug.#BANvNZ
— Mohammad Isam (@Isam84) September 23, 2023
19th over: England 133-2 (Jacks 62, Duckett 37) Duckett has been playing a little within himself, but he doesn’t hold back when McBrine sends down a loose, full delivery, and down the ground it goes for six.
18th over: England 124-2 (Jacks 60, Duckett 31) Better, tighter over from Little. Dot, dot, dot, single, single, single.
17th over: England 121-2 (Jacks 58, Duckett 30) Duckett pushes the ball straight to Tector at extra cover, but he completely misjudges it, it bounces over his leg and runs away for four. A couple of singles follow. There could probably have been at least one more but the batters don’t fancy it.
16th over: England 115-2 (Jacks 57, Duckett 25) The challenge for Jacks is more immediate than most: with Jason Roy still coming to terms with being dumped from the World Cup squad it’s unclear currently who England would bring in should either of their openers sustain an injury in India, but it could well be that Roy chooses not to get involved and whoever of Jacks and Salt emerges from these two games in better shape would get the call. No doubt who’s in pole position now, and with Little back after a few expensive early overs Jacks places the ball past point to earn his eighth boundary of the day.
15th over: England 110-2 (Jacks 53, Duckett 24) A hundred up for England, one ball into the 15th over, and a fifty up for Will Jacks three balls later, as he dumps a McBrine delivery over long-off and into the stands.
Here’s a little clip of the pre-match cap presentation. Apparently Andrew Flintoff’s speech to Tom Hartley – “This will change your life forever” – was really powerful stuff, but I can’t find it on the interweb at present.
Trescothick 🤝 Hain
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) September 23, 2023
Flintoff 🤝 Hartley
Cork 🤝 Scrimshaw
Butcher 🤝 Smith
England's future presented their debut caps by England's past 🏴 🧢 pic.twitter.com/y79pkwASTR
14th over: England 99-2 (Jacks 45, Duckett 21) A (kind of) drop! Harry Tector at backward point dives but doesn’t hold as Jacks spears the ball in his direction. The ball carried, but it was a very hard chance.
13th over: England 96-2 (Jacks 44, Duckett 20) Andy McBrine brings some spin, and England score five in ones and a two. “Tom is probably being mischievous,” huffs John Starbuck. “All the players know what the situation is: it exists among cricketers at all levels, but to propose that they would undermine/cheat each other for personal advantage goes quite against the Spirit of the Game. Anyone who really did do that would soon get found out and totally ruin their own chances, so it would be pretty self-defeating to do so.” Crawley was anyone completely and irredeemably out and Jacks’ advice was entirely sensible.
12th over: England 91-2 (Jacks 40, Duckett 19) A good ball from McCarthy takes the edge, but there’s no slip in so, four runs. “Oh no!,” shouts Lorcan Tucker behind the stumps … and then Duckett does it again!
11th over: England 80-2 (Jacks 38, Duckett 10) A pair of lovely Duckett drives as England work their way through the gears again. “With so many second strong players all keen to stake their claim in this ODI team, you’d imagine there would be a Big Brother vibe,” suggests Tom. “Everyone wanting to seem like they’re egging each other on so they come across as the good guys, but secretly hoping they fail as they want the competition out of the way. I wonder if that’s why Jacks advised Crawley not to review the LBW whilst rubbing his hands with glee.”
Interesting idea. A few of these players will be in the senior selection in a year or so, which means they must all be desperate to succeed here, and also quite keen for others not to succeed so much.
10th over: England 72-2 (Jacks 38, Duckett 2) McCarthy gives Jacks a bit of width, and he unfurls another lovely square drive for four. That should help him out of his mini-rut … and it certainly looks that way as he heaves the final ball over midwicket for six!
9th over: England 59-2 (Jacks 25, Duckett 2) The ball finds Jacks’ edge a couple of times, but without either wickets or boundaries being seriously threatened. Seven runs now off the last three overs, and it’s all got a bit stodgy.
8th over: England 59-2 (Jacks 25, Duckett 2) Barry McCarthy has a bowl and Ireland, emboldened, bring a slip in. Again, the length is better, and there are no easy drives on offer. Also not on offer: DRS, according to umpire David Millns.
7th over: England 57-2 (Jacks 24, Duckett 1) Well that’s put the proverbial cat amongst the figurative pigeons, has it not?
WICKET! Crawley lbw b Young 0 (England 56-2)
The captain goes second ball! Crawley’s hit on the back pad and strolls up for a chat with Will Jacks, who tells him not to bother reviewing.
Updated
WICKET! Salt c Stirling b Young 28 (England 55-1)
A breakthrough! Young the bowler, and Salt miscues it to Stirling at extra cover!
Updated
6th over: England 55-0 (Salt 25, Jacks 24) Little continues, and Salt lifts one off his hip, over short leg and to the boundary on the bounce.
Updated
5th over: England 48-0 (Salt 21, Jacks 24) Craig Young has a go at the bowling, and produces a fine outswinging, wide yorker that Jacks has no answer to, and a bit more variety of line and length in general. The batter does work one to deep midwicket for three, but that’s a better over. Four off it.
Updated
4th over: England 44-0 (Salt 20, Jacks 21) Jacks cracks Little’s first delivery past point for four. This has the potential to get a bit messy: Trent Bridge is a famously high-scoring ground, England’s openers look in decent nick and the bowling so far has been pretty sub-average. Salt has a bit of a wild biff at one, but with the fielders up and the ball more up there’s never any danger, and it runs to the long-on boundary.
3rd over: England 35-0 (Salt 16, Jacks 16) Adair finds a line that Jacks can’t hit for four, but sadly it’s down leg and he keeps having to rebowl them. Finally Jacks hits his second/fourth ball past extra cover for three, and Salt his third/fifth ball down the ground for four, and his fifth/eighth ball similarly for similar.
“I write to you confused,” opines Ian Copestake. “The World Cup has started no? India just played Australia. But here England are playing Ireland who did not qualify and we seem to be in the wrong country/continent. Are we participating via Zoom?”
2nd over: England 21-0 (Salt 8, Jacks 13) There was, Mark Butcher says, “a heavy dew” this morning, but Will Jacks’ cover drives, seem to skim nicely across the outfield and he clearly enjoys watching them go – he hits three in a row off Josh Little.
1st over: England 8-0 (Salt 8, Jacks 0) Salt shovels one off his pads and just past fine leg for four, and pings the next in a similar direction for four more. The over ends with a loud lbw appeal, but the ball swung from outside off into Salt’s back pad and was surely heading past leg, and the umpire shook his head (actually ball tracking shows it would have clipped leg stump, but had Ireland reviewed it would have been umpire’s call).
The players are out and action is about to begin. Mark Adair has ball in hand. Let’s do this.
Apparently Luke Wood is unwell, which is why Tom Hartley plays. Wood has been named as a substitute fielder, so clearly isn’t completely incapacitated.
The teams in full, just before play begins:
England
Phil Salt
Will Jacks
Zak Crawley (capt)
Ben Duckett
Sam Hain
Jamie Smith (wk)
Brydon Carse
Rehan Ahmed
Tom Hartley
Matt Potts
George Scrimshaw
Ireland
Paul Stirling (capt)
Andy Balbirnie
Curtis Campher
Harry Tector
Lorcan Tucker (wk)
George Dockrell
Andy McBrine
Mark Adair
Barry McCarthy
Craig Young
Josh Little
“Morning Simon, morning everyone,” writes Sam in Cornwall. Morning Sam! “A chance for some young (and not so young) guns to make their mark today. As a Warwickshire fan, great to see Sam Hain finally getting recognition. He’s not a slogger, but a very clever consistent player and has been a rock for the Bears over the past few years. Not many Sams have achieved full international honours for England. Here’s hoping he can make us proud.”
Um … Billings? Curran? Robson?
Pre-match reading: Ali Martin had a chat with Sam Hain about his first senior international call:
People sometimes ask whether I’m annoyed at not getting the call sooner but it’s hard to be bitter when you look around. The talent is almost unfathomable
Ireland win the toss and bowl
Paul Stirling says his side are “looking forward to get back out there” and laying to rest the ghosts of June’s grisly World Cup qualifiers, and given that “it’s a fresh wicket in late September” wants to “see if we can get some extraction from the pitch”. Zak Crawley says he would have chosen to bat anyway. Four debutants for England: Sam Hain, Jamie Smith (who keeps wicket), Tom Hartley and George Scrimshaw.
Updated
Preamble
This second ODI is the first outing for England’s second string, the first ODI having been rained off in midweek, though the previews describing them as the next generation seem a bit much given the squad’s average age, skewed as it is by the presence of 19-year-old Rehan Ahmed. Still, there are places likely to become up for grabs pretty soon in a senior white-ball side that looks ripe – though they might wait until after next June’s T20 World Cup – for a bit of an overhaul and that gives this series, and the December trip to West Indies that, coming just after the World Cup, is likely to involve a similar group of players, extra meaning for those involved.
Phil Salt and Will Jacks are clearly seen as important players for the very near future, and Rehan as Adil Rashid’s likely long-term replacement, but for the first time in a considerable time players who find themselves just outside England’s core white-ball squad can hold rational ambitions of being inside it within the next 12 months.
Ireland had a complete stinker in the World Cup qualifiers in June, beating only the UAE in their group before massaging their stats in the play-offs by overcoming the United States and then Nepal to secure the less-coveted seventh spot. For them, the process of overhaul and renewal with an eye on the next World Cup – the 2024 T20 version, for which they have already qualified, and the 2027 50-over event – begins now.
Anyway, welcome! Which of these players do you think are heading for international glory? Should any of them have been involved in this World Cup? Talking of which, how much are you looking forward to the action getting under way in India? Please, please tell me now!
