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• Will Jacks and Sam Hain shine as England post 334 against Ireland

  Will Jacks fell a few metres shy of a maiden England hundred but he and Sam Hain shone for a second-string England side as they posted 334 for eight in the second ODI against Ireland.

  Attempting a mammoth blow to reach his century, Jacks slog swept to Andy Balbirnie at deep midwicket to depart for 94 off 88 balls for England, who are resting all their World Cup stars for this Metro Bank series.

  Jacks thumped seven fours and four sixes but his downfall – one of three scalps claimed by George Dockrell – threatened to derail England and while Hain, one of four debutants, could not match his team-mate for power, the Warwickshire batter’s 89 off 82 balls proved vital in the hosts passing 300.

  Ireland are seeking a third successive white-ball win over England – having beaten them in an ODI in 2020 and at last year’s T20 World Cup – and may fancy their chances after restricting their opponents to just 140 in the last 20 overs.

  England got off to a flyer thanks to Jacks and Phil Salt (28 off 21 balls) while Ben Duckett contributed 48. A trademark onslaught in the latter stages was not forthcoming but Hain’s knock potentially opens the door for more regular involvement after the World Cup, which starts next month.

  Hain started alongside Jamie Smith and bowlers Tom Hartley and George Scrimshaw, with the latter pair able to put their feet up after Ireland chose to field.

  Jacks and Salt have been tipped to be the new Jason Roy and Alex Hales and the next generation gave their finest impression of the old guard, feasting on Ireland’s fruitless pursuit of early swing with a rash of fours.

  Jacks was imperious against Josh Little, driving sumptuously through the off-side time and again, as England reached their 50 inside six overs before being dealt a double when Salt spliced to extra cover while, two legal balls later, stand-in captain Zak Crawley played all around one from Craig Young.

  Duckett pierced cover on a couple of occasions and Ireland took out a lone slip, only for the luckless Barry McCarthy to twice draw the outside edge, desperately out of reach of wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker.

  Jacks was put down on 44 low at backward point by Harry Tector, who could not get under the chance. It was a costly, if extremely difficult, drop as Jacks went through the gears, bringing up his maiden international 50 with a lofted drive off spinner Andy McBrine for six.

  Duckett also cleared the rope off McBrine but perished for 48 after paddling Dockrell into the inviting hands of Mark Adair at short fine-leg to end a run-a-ball 102-run stand with Jacks.

  Hain made a nervous start with just a single – via an inside edge – off his first dozen deliveries and was put down by a diving Tector before gradually finding his stride, using his feet well to open up his scoring options.

  Jacks moved into the 90s by hoicking Dockrell for six but, attempting to repeat the trick in the next over, he gave McBrine a skier. As he trudged off, Jacks knocked his bat into his helmet in despair.

  Dockrell had his third when Smith holed out but Hain – who possesses one of the best List A averages ever – used his experience to make sure England did not collapse. While there were only five fours, he was able to rotate the strike sufficiently to reach a half-century off just 52 balls.

  Brydon Carse made a cameo 32 off 30 balls and while Hain headed into the last over needing 11 to reach three figures, he miscued McCarthy to mid-off.

• Amazon Warriors make light work of Tallawahs to set up final clash with TKR

  The Guyana Amazon Warriors will contest the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) final after a convincing 81 run victory over the Jamaica Tallawahs in Qualifier two.

  The Tallawahs won the toss and opted to field first and they produced a disciplined bowling performance to ensure the Amazon Warriors were restricted to 182/6. Azam Khan produced the star knock in the Amazon Warriors innings, his 54 at the back-end propelling Guyana to a competitive total. 

  The chase was always going to be a steep one for the Tallawahs and that equation became all the harder when they lost four wickets in the PowerPlay. 

  It was a position they never recovered from eventually succumbing to 101 all out.

  The Amazon Warriors made a solid start in their batting PowerPlay, reaching 49 for the loss of one wicket. It could have been two but for the faintest of inside edges that saved Shai Hope from being dismissed lbw.

  However, Saim Ayub departed for 20 immediately following the end of the PowerPlay, his miscued shot only finding Alex Hales at long on. 

  Hope and Shimron Hetmyer struggled to add some attacking impetus to the innings but just when it seemed they were ready to accelerate Hope was caught on the boundary for 40.

  Hetmyer followed shortly afterwards for 31 – but Romario Shepherd and Azam Khan cashed in at the back end. Khan smashed a brutal 54 runs off 27 balls to give the Amazon Warriors momentum heading into the second half of the game.

  If the Tallawahs were to chase the 183 to win, they needed a lightning start in the PowerPlay but they got the opposite of that. 

  Four wickets fell in the first six overs and the procession continued after the fielding restrictions had been lifted. All of the Guyanese bowlers got in on the act to ensure the Tallawahs were never in the contest.

  Imad Wasim added a respectable unbeaten 43 but no one stayed with him as the Tallawahs were eventually bowled out for 101.

  The Amazon Warriors victory means they will now contest their sixth Republic Bank CPL final where they will aim to win their first ever title.

   

• Prince, Leon on target as reigning Olympic champions Canada blank Reggae Girlz 2-0 in first-leg playoff

  Jamaica...0

  Canada...2

  Prince (18th), Leon (90+2)

  Jamaica's senior Reggae Girlz dreams of an historic Olympic Games qualification is all but up in smoke, as they suffered a 0-2 defeat to Canada in their first-leg playoff encounter at the National Stadium on Friday. 

  Goals from Nichelle Prince in the 18th and the menacing Adriana Leon in the 90+2 minutes was enough to lift the Bev Priestman-coached reigning Olympic champions to a crucial advantage heading into Tuesday's second leg which will be played before a sold-out crowd at BMO Field in Toronto.

  For Lorne Donaldson and his Girlz it will be a case of pulling off the improbable win in a hostile environment, if they are to progress.

  The Girlz started out fairly disciplined, as they were quick on the ball and did well to contain Canada in the early exchanges. 

  In fact, the Girlz looked more threatening in opening play, but their first real chance in the final third came from Deneisha Blackwood’s teasing 10^th-minute free kick, which had to be mopped up by the Canadian defenders. 

  Such was the Girlz discipline when they gradually gained the ascendancy that Canada was hardly allowed to play their usual fluent passing game to get into the final third.

  Instead, they were on the back foot and almost found themselves a goal down in the 14th minute. This, as Jody Brown was sent on the break by Atlanta Primus, but the diminutive forward’s shot was charged down by a defender. 

  All the Reggae Girlz hard work was undone in the 18th when poor positioning by Blackwood allowed Ashley Lawrence to slip further down the right channel and deliver a weighted cross, which was expertly headed in by Prince, giving Rebecca Spencer no chance at a save.

  Still, the Girlz fought on and again went close in the 29^th courtesy of Brown, who orchestrated a tidy build up and picked out Cheyna Matthews on the left, but the run amounted to nothing.

  Matthews again went on the break five minutes later, as she shook her defender and should have initially struck a left footer, but was hesitant in doing so. When she belatedly got a shot off her favoured right foot, her marker had already recovered and averted the danger.

  Though the score remained unchanged at half-time, the Jamaicans seemingly failed to recover from the manner in which they ended the first half. A defensive lapse immediately on the resumption allowed Leon through on goal and it took a tidy save from Spencer to deny her.

  Canada again went close from the resulting corner with Prince's effort from the top of the 18-yard box rattling the crossbar. 

  By virtue of pushing a high line in their probe for the equalizer, the Girlz absorbed some amount of pressure from Canada's break, as Leon got by Konya Plummer a couple of times but found Spencer in her way.

  The Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper did her utmost best to keep the Girlz in the game as she was again called upon when Cloe Lacasse got away down the left channel in the 64th and struck a left-footed effort which Spencer had to parry at her near post.

  The Girlz had their best chance of the second half a minute later when substitute Tiffany Cameron’s shot from a rebound went just over the crossbar, after Khadija “Bunny” Shaw's initial effort was thwarted by Vanessa Gilles. 

  But just when the moderate turnout in the stadium may have harboured a glimmer of hope that the Girlz would pull one back, Leon broke their hearts with a cheeky finish at Spencer’s near post from a Julia Grosso cross to put Canada 2-0 up.

  Despite being down, the Jamaicans continued the push to at least reduce the deficit, but when Plummer fired a tame left-footed effort straight at Canada’s goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, deep inside added time, it all but summed up their lukewarm evening.

  Teams: Jamaica -Rebecca Spencer, Allyson Swaby, Konya Plummer, Tiernny Wiltshire, Deneisha Blackwood, Vyan Sampson, Drew Spence, Jody Brown (Solai Washington 55th), Atlanta Primus (Kayla McKenna 71st), Cheyna Matthews (Tiffany Cameron 55th), Khadija Shaw

  Subs not used: Sydney Schneider, Liya Brooks, Sashana Campbell, Chantelle Swaby, Kameron Simmonds, Olufolasade Adamolekun, Trudi Carter, Shaneil Buckley, Paige Bailey-Gayle

  Booked: None

  Canada -Kailen Sheridan, Sydney Collins, Kadeisha Buchanan, Rebecca Quinn, Ashley Lawrence (Gabby Carle 82nd), Vanessa Gilles, Nichelle Prince (Jordyn Huitema 64th), Jessie Fleming (Julia Grosso 79th), Adriana Leon, Cloe Lacasse, Jade Rose (Shelina Zadorsky 79th)

  Subs not used: Lysianne Proulx, Sabrina D'Angelo, Olivia Smith, Marie-Yasmine Alidou, Evelyne Viens, Christine Sinclair, Simi Awujo, Bianca St-Georges 

  Booked: Gillies (54th), Grosso (90+5)

  Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva (USA)

  Assistant referees: Kathryn Nesbitt (USA); Felisha Mariscal (USA)

  Fourth official: Natalie Simon (USA)

  Match Commissary: Techell McLean (SKN)