Ireland v England: Live Updates from the First Men's T20 International
Live coverage of the first men's T20 international between Ireland and England from Dublin. This match marks the first time England has played in Ireland in six years, promising an exciting contest. Stay tuned for live scores, commentary, and the latest updates.
Teams Lineups
Here are the confirmed lineups for both teams. Ireland is missing key players like Josh Little and Mark Adair, but fields a strong side nonetheless. Gareth Delany celebrates his 100th international cap.
- Ireland: Stirling (c), R Adair, H Tector, Tucker (wk), Delany, Dockrell, Campher, McCarthy, Hume, Humphreys, Young.
- England: Salt, Buttler (wk), Bethell (c), Rehan, Banton, S Curran, Jacks, J Overton, Dawson, Rashid, L Wood.
Toss and Initial Conditions
England won the toss and elected to bowl first. Rehan Ahmed is included in the lineup and is slated to bat at number 4. Jamie Overton also comes into the side, replacing Harry Brook and Jofra Archer from their previous match against South Africa. Paul Stirling indicated that Ireland would have also chosen to bowl first.
Pre-Match Thoughts
"Ireland in mid-September? Iconoclastic meteorological choice, that one. From the last week of September to the third week in May, the Irish sky is black as a bruise... Forget spin or swing, the ball is more likely to commit suicide than anything else." - Robert Wilson
The weather in Malahide overnight was poor, but conditions have improved, with dry weather and even some sunshine expected.
Context of Irish Cricket
The struggles of Irish cricket are highlighted by the lack of consistent home matches. Cricket Ireland had to cancel tours by Australia and Afghanistan due to "financial reasons," citing the high costs associated with transforming club grounds into international venues due to the lack of permanent stadium infrastructure. Despite an increase in annual income from €10.2m (£8.8m) to €16.4m (£14.2m) in 2024 thanks to increased funding from the International Cricket Council, these cancellations reflect the financial challenges faced by the governing body.
Historical Context
It has been six years since England last played in Ireland, securing a four-wicket victory at Malahide. Since then, England hosted Ireland twice, winning an ODI series 2-1 in 2020 and winning the Test at Lord’s in 2023. However, Ireland won their last T20 encounter at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne.
Match Attendance
Friday and Sunday's games are sold out, while today's crowd is not quite at full capacity, but is expected to be around 4,500.
