Tail-enders Mark Adair and Andy McBrine produced their own version of ‘Bazball’ with a record-breaking 163-run partnership for Ireland in Test cricket to help them avoid an innings defeat against England at Lord’s.
Predictions before day three started ranged from whether England would have victory wrapped up by lunch or by the time the FA Cup final got under way at 3pm.
Ireland needed 255 runs to force Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s side to bat again in this one-off Test and were without the injured James McCollum. However, Harry Tector (51) and Lorcan Tucker (44) ensured 118 runs were scored in the morning session for the loss of only three wickets.
Adair and McBrine then upped the ante after lunch, launching astonishing attacks on Stuart Broad and Jack Leach before Matthew Potts bounced out number nine Adair for 88 after 12 fours and two sixes.
Josh Tongue continued his fine debut by claiming five wickets but McBrine walked off unbeaten on 85 at the end of an extended afternoon session where Graham Hume’s back-to-back boundaries off Joe Root guided Ireland to 356 for eight and into a narrow four-run lead.
Huge scores in quick time from Ben Duckett (182) and Ollie Pope (205) in England’s 524 for four declared raised the possibility a result may occur inside two days, but Ireland made it to the close on Friday evening on 97 for three.
With McCollum retired hurt, the onus was on Tector and wicketkeeper Tucker, who after an observant first three overs started to play his shots.
A skip down the wicket saw him crunch Potts away to the boundary for four and two more followed to bring up the half-century partnership with Tector.
It was Ireland’s first half-century stand of the Test but a breakthrough followed when Stokes, after watching Potts go agonising close to a superb caught and bowled against Tucker, introduced Leach, who struck with his second ball.
Tucker missed his sweep shot and gloved onto his own stumps to walk off for a well-made 44 off 64 balls.
Ireland’s number four Tector was still there and after it took him 12 balls to add to his overnight 33, he got his first boundary of the morning by hitting Leach down the ground and further applause followed when he reached 50 with a scampered two.
Tector’s celebrations quickly ended when the very next ball he cut straight to Harry Brook at backward point to give Tongue a fortuitous fourth scalp to depart for a well-made 51 off 98 balls.
Curtis Campher picked out Stokes at short fine leg. Of more significance was the grimace on the face of England’s captain, who took the catch at chest height but hobbled to join the celebrations with all eyes on his troublesome left knee ahead of five Ashes Tests during the next two months.
There would be no early finish before lunch with Adair taking a shine to Joe Root, smashing two maximums to bring up Ireland’s 200. He then crunched three consecutive fours off Broad to register 50 from 47 balls.
McBrine brought up the hundred partnership off only 106 balls and brought up his half-century with a reverse sweep.
With Adair closing in on a century down the other end, talk turned to whether he could beat Stokes’ 85-ball ton at Lord’s but Potts clinched the much-needed breakthrough.
Adair departed after scoring 88 in a record 163-run partnership for Ireland in Test cricket.
Fionn Hand walked out with Ireland still needing 27 to avoid an innings defeat but he edged Tongue to Zak Crawley at second slip to give the Worcestershire seamer his maiden five-wicket haul to put himself on the honours board.
Last-man Hume remained unflustered and when he hit Root for back-to-back boundaries during the 83rd over, it meant England would bat again after tea.
Dr Tara Wilkinson-McLean joins ICC Future Leaders Programme
The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League’s (CPL) Head of Partner Servicing, Dr Tara Wilkinson McClean has been selected to take part in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Future Leaders Programme and will be engaging in a number of in person and online sessions with other female cricket administrators from around the world over the next 10 months.
Barbados national Dr Wilkinson-McClean has been working with the CPL since 2013 in a number of roles dealing with the tournament’s commercial partners. She was recently promoted to the role of Head of Partner Servicing where she runs a team who deliver sponsorship assets.
Launched in 2021, the Future Leaders Programme has sought to address the underrepresentation of females in leadership positions within cricket by offering online mentorship opportunities for future leaders, pairing them with senior figures to promote and support their career development.
Building on the positive impact of previous editions, the 2024 offering is specifically tailored for female cricket administrators, who are set to benefit from an extended programme duration, where successful candidates will connect in a combination of face-to-face and online learning opportunities.
The course comprises two three-day in-person workshops, supported by project work, mentoring and online masterclasses delivered by former Australia captain and ICC Hall of Famer, Belinda Clark AO.
Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL’s CEO, said: “Tara has been a hugely important part of the CPL team over the last decade and it is fantastic to see her selected for this hugely prestigious ICC initiative. The CPL is very proud of the fantastic female members on our team and it is pleasing to see the ICC investing in the further development of strong cricket administrators like Tara.”
Dr Tara Wilkinson-McClean, Republic Bank CPL’s Head of Partner Servicing, said: “Being selected for the ICC Cricket Future Leaders Programme is a huge honour. Connecting with like-minded women from various arenas on a similar trajectory and being exposed to global leaders in business and sport is a game changer. I would like to thank the ICC for giving me this opportunity and CPL for their overwhelming support for my participation.”
Turning the tide: Windies captain Powell cautiously optimistic about comeback in T20 series against England
Though facing an uphill task in their five-match T20 series against England, West Indies captain Rovman Powell is cautiously optimistic that they can produce a comeback to not only overturn a challenging 2-0 deficit but to go all the way in the series.
Powell’s sentiments served as a rallying cry of sorts as they stare down a must-win situation in the third encounter at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia on Thursday to keep the series alive.
Still, Powell expressed confidence that the Caribbean setting, coupled with a few strategic changes, will bolster their fightback.
“St. Lucia is always a good place for us. It provides an opportunity for us to play good cricket, and the wicket is generally a good one, probably the best one in the Caribbean,” Powell said in a pre-game interview.
“The people of St Lucia always come out to support us, which is also good, and so we're looking forward to the next three games. Hopefully they can come out and support us, and we can deliver some good cricket,” he added.
After two tough matches in Barbados, which England won by eight wickets and seven wickets, respectively, Powell emphasized the significance of a renewed focus while also pointing to the need for every player to take personal accountability heading into the crucial contest.
“I think it’s a case of each guy reflecting on how things have gone so far from an individual perspective to see if we as individuals are bringing enough to the table, and then we try our best to try to put it together as a team. We have areas that definitely need work, but the guys are in good spirits. We had a good training session today, so we’re hoping to hit the ground running,” Powell explained.
St Lucia is not only familiar territory but also presents a new beginning, especially with the return of key pacer Alzarri Joseph from a two-match suspension.
Powell believes Joseph’s presence will fortify a bowling attack that has struggled in the opening games, as England easily chased down 182 and 158 in both games.
“If you should look at our bowling department, we really needed him in those games. So, it's important for him to come and hit the straps and hit the ground running. As a bowling group, we have areas where we need to control the power play because the middle overs generally take care of themselves, and he will come to bowl some of those overs in the backend,” he shared.
Despite the uphill battle, Powell cited the Caribbean side’s recent successes over the past 18 months as a reminder of their potential.
“It's a little uncomfortable being 2-0 to be honest; it's a position that we haven't found ourselves in in a long time, but it's an opportunity for us to show what we are made of as a T20 team,” Powell declared.
“England is a team that we have played quite often these days, and we have had good results against them. It's just unfortunate that Barbados wasn't good for us in terms of T20 cricket, but St Lucia provides a new opportunity for us to come out and play some good cricket,” the Jamaican reasoned.
Finally, Powell reiterated the importance of a victory on Thursday, not only to stay in the series but also to set the stage for an exhilarating weekend of cricket. The final two encounters are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
“It's a case of us getting back into the series; we just need a win, and once we get the win tomorrow, we can go from there. The guys are upbeat; even though we are 2-0 down, they are in a good frame of mind and ready to play good cricket,” the captain ended.
Tilak's unbeaten ton helps India take lead against South Africa
Tilak Varma smashed an unbeaten 107 as India went 2-1 up in their T20I series against South Africa, claiming a nail-biting victory in Wednesday's third match in Centurion.
Following their surprise defeat in Sunday's second match, the tourists bounced back to earn their 10th win in their last 12 outings in the format, putting them on the brink of a series triumph.
Tilak was the star of the show as he produced comfortably the best score of his T20I career, surpassing a knock of 55 versus Bangladesh last year in some style, while only facing 56 balls.
He hit eight fours and seven maximums to set South Africa a target of 220 for victory, with Abhishek Sharma scoring 50 from 25 deliveries in support before Keshav Maharaj broke their partnership in the ninth over.
Despite six of India's batsmen scoring 18 runs or fewer and four – Sanju Samson (0), Suryakumar Yadav (1), Rinku Singh (8) and Axar Patel (1) – being limited to single figures, the damage had largely been done already.
South Africa were then dropped to 84-4 within their first 10 overs as Varun Chakravarthy claimed the crucial wickets of Reeza Hendricks (12) and Aiden Markram (29).
Heinrich Klaasen's incredible 54 off 17 balls dragged South Africa back into contention, and they required 18 runs from four deliveries in a grandstand finish, but Arshdeep Singh trapped the hosts' dangerman lbw to secure India's victory.
Having fallen short of their target by just 11 runs, the Proteas must now win Friday's fourth match to salvage a 2-2 draw from the series.
Data Debrief: Big-hitting India on the brink
Tilak recorded a strike rate of 191.07 while Abhishek was at 200.00 as their early partnership powered India towards victory.
India have now hit over 200 sixes in T20I matches this calendar year, only previously surpassing that figure in the format in one previous year – recording 289 in 2022.
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