Ireland stun England by five runs on Duckworth-Lewis method

The 2019 ODI World Cup champions struggled with ball and bat before being caught short when rain ended the match prematurely at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

Ireland have been here before. Having announced themselves with a shock three-wicket win over Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup, they stunned England four years later in Bengaluru thanks to a brilliant 113 by Kevin O’Brien. At the 2015 World Cup Down Under, they chased down 305 against West Indies with 25 balls to spare. Two years ago, they gunned down England's 328 in Southampton with one ball and seven wickets in hand.

Ireland produced a disciplined bowling performance to restrict England's big hitters (AP)

All that brilliance happened in the 50-over format. In T20, against the world No 2 team that boasts of some of the fiercest power-hitters around, not many gave Andrew Balbirnie's Ireland a chance. Yet, they choked one of the pre-tournament favourites by five runs on the DLS method. But it was a victory forged more by grit than a fortuitous downpour; hardly a lucky escape for an underdog.

Chasing 158 in muggy Melbourne, England were waylaid by some intelligent swing bowling from the Irishmen who kept hitting the good length area, allowing the overcast conditions to help move the ball both ways. When the game was called off after 14.3 overs due to rain, England were five runs off the DLS target. The Irishmen calmly shook hands with their opponents and jumped the fence to greet their travelling fans in the stands. The win was no longer an upset, at least to the victors.

A rain-delayed start meant toss was always going to be crucial. Jos Buttler called correctly and asked Ireland to bat, and when the showers returned nine balls into the match, it was clear that Ireland needed a considerable total to challenge their fancied rivals.

Paul Stirling and skipper Balbirnie had little trouble dealing with the extreme pace of Mark Wood. Perhaps conscious of the possibility that the match could be truncated, Stirling looked to attack the English bowlers early, smashing a six and four in his eight-ball stay. His dismissal in the third over had little effect on No 3 Lorcan Tucker's approach as Ireland, thanks to a 14-run sixth over from Sam Curran, ended the powerplay at 59/1. Tucker and Balbirnie raised their 50-run stand in 37 balls with the former the more enterprising batter.

Balbirnie too upped the ante, plundering 18 runs off the 10th over bowled by Chris Woakes. He finished on 62 from 47 balls, taking the Player of the Match award. Woakes finished with 3-0-41-0. The second half of the Irish innings was in sharp contrast though as England bowers found their lengths and rhythm. Ireland went from 92/1 to 157 all out, managing only 65/9 in their last 60 balls.

Their bowlers, however, wrested back the initiative on the second ball, Josh Little forcing Buttler to nick a wide ball behind the stumps for duck. Alex Hales lasted five balls, falling to an ungainly hoick off a short ball. Fionn Hand produced the ball of the match to breach the defences of Ben Stokes. At the end of the powerplay, England were reeling at 37/3. A 34-ball 38-run alliance between Dawid Malan and Harry Brook steadied the ship, but the asking rate galloped to 10 an over at the halfway stage. Moeen Ali was on a 12-ball 24 after Malan had top-edged to fine-leg. Ali was leading England’s decisive charge—53 runs needed off 33 balls--when rain returned to wash out England’s chances.

England, with a win and loss, are third on the table, below toppers New Zealand—their game against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain—and Sri Lanka.

Brief Scores: Ireland 157 in 19.2 overs (A Balbirnie 62, L Tucker 34, M Wood 3/34, S Curran 2/31, L Livingstone 3/17); England 105/5 in 14.3 overs (D Malan 35, M Ali 24*, J Little 2/16). Ireland won by five runs (DLS Method).