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 228-1, Duckett 104, Pope 59, Campher 0-26 (4) lead by 56
Pope drives on the up and places it beautifully between the gap at cover and mid-off. The shot is slightly in the air but there’s no danger of picking out the fielder and he drills it to the boundary.
Curtis Campher tries to correct and straightens up his line only for Pope to whip the ball through midwicket for another perfectly timed boundary.
England 219-1, Duckett 104, Pope 50, Hand 1-57 (9) lead by 47
England are really flying now.
Ollie Pope cuts one away to third man for four before taking a single off the next delivery and scrambling through to reach his half century.
Another boundry for Duckett ends the over with England taking another 10 runs from it.
England 210-1, Duckett 100, Pope 45, Hand 1-48 (8.1) lead by 38
Ben Duckett goes to one hundred! He flicks Fionn Hand into the legside and beats the fielder at wide mid-on before calling Ollie Pope through for a single.
This is Duckett’s first test match century in England and his second in total.
England 209-1, Duckett 99, Pope 45, Adair 0-84 (12) lead by 37
Mark Adair overpitches and Ben Duckett leans into a lovely drive to spank the ball back down the ground for four runs. Duckett moves into the 90s.
He flicks Adair after for two before guiding the next ball down to fine leg for four more. He moves to 98, two runs away from his second test match century.
Duckett moves to 99 with a punch into the legside before Ollie Pope collects two to end the over. That brings up the 100 partnership too.
England 196-1, Duckett 88, Pope 43, Hand 1-47 (8), lead by 23
A change of bowling with Fionn Hand returning from the pavilion end to bowl at Pope.
The first ball was easily let go, but there’s a slight delay as the umpire checks the ball, before the medium-pacer can continue.
Pope picks up four towards third man, just guiding the ball there as he opened the face, as he closes in on a milestone of his own.
England 191 -1, Duckett 88, Pope 39, Adair 0-71 (11), England lead by 19
Pope missed one that just had a little bit more bounce from Adair, and almost punished the next delivery which was short.
Duckett is playing the ball absolutely everywhere this morning, with another punch down the ground to move on to 88.
England 186-1, Duckett 84, Pope 38, Hume 0-55 (12), England lead by 14
Duckett into the 80’s now, after flinging the bat at a ball outside off stump, and it perfectly found the gap in the field to run towards the boundary.
The bowling has been a bit wayward from Ireland, and it’s not going to get any easier with the sky brightening by the minute almost.
England 179-1, Duckett 78, Pope 37, Adair 0-66 (10), England lead by 7
England pressing on here, Duckett playing nicely, but missed one trying to advance down the wicket and acess the leg side.
Duckett, in his first Test match in England moving closer to the century.
England 177-1, Duckett 76, Pope 37, Hume 0-48 (11), England lead by 5
Duckett is closing in on his century nicely here, moving on to 75 with a well-timed punch down the ground for 4.
Pope taking his time here, adjusting his gloves and coming down to prod the wicket as some batters choose to do between deliveries, he has found the fielders a bit more than his batting partner in the first few overs this morning.
England 172-1, Duckett 71, Pope 37, Adair 0-64 (9)
There was a run-out chance with the first ball, but the throw missed the stumps, both batters were caught in the middle of the pitch.
Ireland have not bowled the best line this morning, Duckett has had a lot of luck with a late dab towards third man.
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