Debutant Josh Tongue claimed five wickets to help England beat Ireland inside three days at Lord’s, but only after a record 163-run partnership between tailenders Mark Adair and Andy McBrine.
Predictions before the third day started ranged from whether England would have victory wrapped up in this one-off Test by lunch or by the time the FA Cup final got under way at 3pm.
Ireland needed 255 runs to force Ben Stokes’ side to bat again and were without injured opener James McCollum, but 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 a 76-ball 88 that included 12 fours and two sixes.
Tongue continued his fine debut by picking up his fifth scalp, that of Fionn Hand, before McBrine helped Ireland make it to tea in the lead, only to be stranded on 86 not out when last man Graham Hume was bowled by Broad to leave the tourists on 362 for nine.
It gave England a victory target of 11 and Zak Crawley needed only four balls to secure a 10-wicket success to make it 11 wins in 13 Tests in the ‘Bazball’ era under Stokes and Brendon McCullum, but the sternest examination of their aggressive brand of cricket will start on June 16 when the Ashes get under way.
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 an England breakthrough followed when Stokes, after watching Potts go agonisingly 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 51.
Curtis Campher picked out Stokes at short fine leg next but more significant 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 his fifty from 47 balls, reaching the milestone with a ramp shot over Jonny Bairstow.
McBrine brought up the hundred partnership off only 106 balls and recorded his half-century with a reverse sweep.
With Adair closing in on a maiden Test century, talk turned to whether he could beat Stokes’ 85-ball ton at Lord’s but Potts clinched the much-needed breakthrough.
Adair was bounced out after scoring 88 in a record 163-run partnership for Ireland in Test cricket.
Hand walked out with Ireland still needing 27 to avoid an innings defeat but he edged Tongue to Crawley at second slip to give the Worcestershire seamer his maiden five-wicket Test haul to put himself on the honours board at Lord’s.
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.
McBrine was also denied a first Test hundred when Broad bowled Hume eight balls into the evening session, which ended during the first over of England’s chase after Crawley smashed three boundaries to clinch an emphatic win.
IPL: Capitals sneak past Titans after Pant heroics in free-scoring clash
Rishabh Pant stole the show with an unbeaten 88 as Delhi Capitals leapfrogged Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League table with Wednesday's nervous four-run victory.
Delhi looked in some trouble after Sandeep Warrier dismissed openers Prithvi Shaw for 11 and Jake Fraser-McGurk on 23 but Pant blitzed a remarkable 43-ball knock that contained eight maximums to help the Capitals to 224-4.
That onslaught from the India wicketkeeper came after Axar Patel – promoted up the order to number three – blasted 66 off 43 balls, though Wriddhiman Saha (39) and Sai Sudharsan (69) led the Gujarat fightback.
David Miller's quickfire 55 offered further hope yet impact player Rasikh Salam's 3-44 stunted that response.
With the Titans needing 19 from the final over, Mukesh Kumar (1-41) held on in a showdown with Rashid Khan (21 not out) to edge the Capitals over the finish line.
Data Debrief: Sharma sets unwanted IPL record
Though much of the credit went to Pant for his late-innings destruction, questions may be asked of Mohit Sharma, whose 0-73 from four overs marked the most expensive figures for a bowler in IPL history.
Mohit cannot shoulder too much blame, though, as this entertaining IPL clash saw only two bowlers concede less than eight runs an over – Warrier's 3-15 in the first innings before Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Saha and Rahul Tewatia (4) in his 2-29 Delhi spell.
Usain Bolt named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
The International Cricket Council (ICC) have announced Olympic legend Usain Bolt as an ambassador for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be played in the West Indies and USA from 1-29 June 2024.
The announcement comes a few weeks ahead of the start of the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever that will inspire a new generation of fans. Bolt’s global appeal alongside his out of this world athletic achievements and ability to transcend boundaries makes him a perfect fit for the biggest T20 World Cup ever.
Bolt created history at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio when he achieved the ‘Triple-Triple’, three gold medals at three consecutive Olympic Games. His journey to worldwide stardom started at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing where he won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, all in world record times.
Bolt currently holds world records in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m with times of 9.58 secs, 19.19 secs and 36.84 secs. His first world record was in the 100m in 2008 when he posted a time of 9.72 secs in New York. He lowered it to 9.69 secs at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and then to 9.58 secs at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. He holds the three fastest times ever run: 9.58, 9.64 and 9.69 seconds.
As an ambassador, Bolt will play a key role in promoting the event, starting with a cameo appearance in next week’s release of the event’s official anthem music video alongside iconic artists Sean Paul and Kes. The eight-time Olympic Gold Medallist will also attend T20 World Cup matches in the West Indies and be part of fan engagement events promoting the sport within the United States.
Usain Bolt expressed his excitement about his new role, saying: "I am thrilled to be an ambassador for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Coming from the Caribbean where cricket is a part of life, the sport has always held a special place in my heart, and I look forward to attending West Indies matches at the World Cup and making a contribution to the growth of cricket globally.
“While I will of course be supporting West Indies at the World Cup, getting the sport into the US is big for cricket. It’s the biggest sports market in the world and the energy that we will bring for the T20 World Cup is a huge opportunity leading towards cricket’s inclusion in the LA Olympics in 2028.”
ICC Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Allardice said: "Usain Bolt is a global icon, we are thrilled to have him on board as an Ambassador for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 to engage with a new generation of fans. His passion for cricket is well known, making him the perfect fit for this role. Alongside his world record breaking achievements and energetic personality, he will add another exciting element to the World Cup.”
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is set to be action packed with Bolt's presence adding a new level of excitement for fans globally. Fans can look forward to seeing the world's best teams battle it out for glory, with the World Cup opening match seeing co-host USA taking on Canada at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas, Texas on Saturday 1 June. For full match fixtures and tickets, including hospitality packages in both the West Indies and USA, visit tickets.t20worldcup.com
Poor Mitchell form causing 'pressure' as CSK lose again in IPL
Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming acknowledges there is "pressure" on New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell after his team lost again to Lucknow Super Giants.
Holders CSK had won four of their first six Indian Premier League matches this season, but consecutive losses to LSG in the space of five days have seen them slip to fifth in the standings.
Their latest IPL defeat on Tuesday came after CSK had left out Rachin Ravindra, with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ajinkya Rahane opening the batting, with Mitchell coming in at number three.
While captain Gaikwad scored an impressive unbeaten 108, Rahane managed just one run and Mitchell fell for just 11 off 10 balls.
LSG then chased down their 211 target for victory with three balls left, inspired by a superb innings of 124 not out by Marcus Stoinis.
Mitchell was a major acquisition by CSK at the IPL auction, but so far he has managed just 146 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 123.72.
"There's a lot of pressure obviously," Fleming said when asked about Mitchell's poor form.
"Getting up the order is more comfortable for him. Me putting him down the order in the hitting role wasn't his best position. So, we've looked to rectify that and get him up the order where he has had his best performances internationally.
"That might take a little bit of time, but the top three need to contribute the majority of runs.
"Ruturaj did that, so hopefully he can continue his form and the others can pick that up."
CSK are back in action at home against in-form Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday and Fleming accepts there is work to do, but takes comfort from the fact their defeats have not been comprehensive.
He added: "We are not firing on all cylinders by any means but we are in each game and we are asking teams to play well to beat us.
"We just have to make sure we are good enough to win and we have been. Again [versus LSG] we created a chance, so it is not like we are down and out.
"But we know we could be stronger. We have just got to get a little bit better. It is a mixture of trying to find that [combination at the top of the order] and also form.
"We are a little bit uncomfortable with some areas, so we are trying to find not a quick fix, but the right combination where players are going to contribute for the back end of this tournament.
"We have had injuries, we have been a little bit unsettled, but the main thing is getting guys in key areas and in form."
IPL 2024 continues on Wednesday when Delhi Capitals face Gujarat Titans, with both teams sitting outside the playoff positions as things stand.
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