Melbourne: Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood snared three wickets apiece to turn it around for England and bowl out Ireland for 157 in a T20 World Cup match, here on Wednesday.
Ireland skipper Andy Balbirnie smashed a 47-ball 62, his first T20 World Cup half-century and eighth overall, in an entertaining 82-run second wicket partnership with Lorcan Tucker (34 from 27 balls) to give them a flying start after England opted to bowl in overcast conditions.
But leg-spinner Livingstone (3-0-17-3) dismissed Balbirnie and followed it up with George Dockrell in the next ball to trigger the collapse before Wood (4-0-34-3) and Sam Curran (3-0-31-2) ran through completed Ireland’s middle and lower order.
From being 92 for 1 in 10 overs, Ireland collapsed in 19.2 overs.
Smarting from the defeat against Sri Lanka in their Super 12 opener, Ireland got off to an attacking start with Balbirnie slamming a 40-ball half-century.
Tucker gave him a fine support from the other end as they took on the English pace duo of Wood and Chris Woakes with some spectacular pull shots.
Ireland’s 100 came up in just 68 balls before a freak run-out brought an end to Tucker’s fine innings.
On an overcast afternoon, with their innings halted once by the passing showers, Ireland launched an attack on the English pacers with Paul Stirling taking the early initiative in his eight-ball 14 (1×4, 1×6).
Tucker then continued the momentum after Stirling’s departure in the third over as he along with skipper Balbirnie raced Ireland to 59 for 1 in Power Play.
