England vs Ireland LIVE: Test cricket score and updates as Josh Tongue picks up three wickets on dominant day
England are closing in on victory after a dominant display at Lord’s
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Your support makes all the difference.England are on the verge of a first victory of the summer after record-breaking innings by Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett almost saw Ireland defeated inside two days at Lord’s.
Duckett did the early damage and showed exactly why he is perfect for Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ style with a century on his maiden Test appearance on home soil.
The Nottinghamshire opener made it to 150 off the same number of balls to snatch the record for quickest Test 150 at Lord’s off Australian great Don Bradman before his fun was ended on 182 that came at a strike rate of 102.84.
Duckett had shared a 252-run partnership for the second wicket with Pope, who was not at his fluent best initially but freed up after reaching his fourth hundred and subsequently registered the quickest Test double-century in England.
When Pope was stumped after crashing 22 fours and three maximums in his 205 innings from 208 balls, Stokes declared on 524 for four with Ireland needing 352 to make England bat again but more pressingly required to bat through the evening session to force a third day of this one-off Test.
Three wickets for debutant Josh Tongue in a terrific spell threatened the possibility England could wrap up victory inside two days but Harry Tector stood firm to guide Ireland to the close on 97 for three, although opener James McCollum is unlikely to bat again after he retired hurt.
Stokes’ bold declaration was in keeping with England’s desire to go against convention but it does mean himself, Harry Brook and Jonny Bairstow are all short of time at the crease ahead of the Ashes opener on June 16.
Pat Cummins and co will not be as generous at Edgbaston as red-ball novices Ireland have been this week in only their seventh Test, but the emergence of Tongue makes this a worthwhile exercise.
England 517-3, Pope 199, Brook 8, Adair 0-127 (20)
Harry Brook has come out, and smashed one straight into his own leg trying to access the leg side with only his fifth delivery.
There are no mistakes from the next ball however, as Adair is dispatched for four, and the man has almost immediately gone out to the boundary that side.
The next ball is plinked over the infield and into the off-side this time.
WICKET: England 508-3, Root out for 56, lead by 336
Joe Root has gone! Just as it looked like Ireland could have to wait until a declaration, and Root was bowled by the spin of McBrine for 56.
There has been some chat comparing today to the first day at Rawalpindi in December, when England scored 500 in a day, and Root didn’t get a century on that occasion either.
TEA: England 503-2, lead by 331
Ollie Pope scored over 100 runs on his own in the afternoon session as, first with Ben Duckett then with Joe Root, he helped England take their lead over 300.
Pope is three runs away from a double-century and no doubt Ben Stokes will let him carry one batting after tea to reach the landmark.
Joe Root meanwhile has passed 50, the 58th time he’s done so in test match cricket.
TEA: England 503-2, Root 52, Pope 197, Campher 0-88 (13), lead by 331
Joe Root shuffles across the crease and tries to nudge Campher away over fine leg. He gets a thick outside edge instead but the ball flies down to third man for four.
50 for Root! Campher drops one short and Root swivels on his back foot to pull the ball away to the square leg boundary. It’s Root’s 58th test match 50 and also brings up England’s 500.
A single off the last ball of the over also brings Root up to 11,000 test runs for his career. Only Alastair Cook has more for England.
England 494-2, Root 43, Pope 197, Hand 1-113 (19), lead by 322
England are coasting towards the tea break. They’re in no rush to add runs and have plenty of gaps and space to pick up singles as both batters come close to their individual milestones.
England 490-2, Root 41, Pope 195, Campher 0-79 (12), lead by 318
With Ireland’s fielders shielding the boundary, England are comfortable with rotating the strike and collecting singles to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Five runs come from the over.
England 485-2, Root 38, Pope 193, Hand 1-109 (18), lead by 313
Ben Stokes seems to be waiting until tea to make a decision about whether or not to declare. That gives Ollie Pope 10 minutes or so to get the seven runs needed for a double-hundred.
Joe Root is only 12 away from 50 too. They add five to the total from Hand’s 18th over.
England 480-2, Root 36, Pope 190, Campher 0-74 (11), lead by 308
Ollie Pope is closing in quickly on a double-hundred. He waits for a slower ball from Curtis Campher and punches a lovely drive through the covers for four.
Four singles are added to the total and England lead by 308.
England 472-2, Root 34, Pope 184, Hand 1-106 (18), lead by 300
Both Root and Pope give themselves room on the legside to find the gaps with drives into the offside. They’re rotating the strike but still collect six runs to bring the lead up to 300.
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