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ENG vs IRE 2023 | Broad Picks Five, Openers Flourish On Day 1 As Ireland Becomes BazBall’s Latest Victim


image-lidg6j0jZak Crawley and Ben Duckett formed a 109-run opening stand (Twitter)

Ireland (First Innings) – 172 all out in 56.2 overs [James McCollum 36 (108), Curtis Campher 33 (79); Stuart Broad 5/51 (17), Jack Leach 3/35 (14)] leads England (First Innings) – 152/1 in 25 overs [Ben Duckett 60* (71), Zak Crawley 56 (45); Fionn Hand 1/42] by 20 runs at Stumps on Day 1

The Englishmen reaped maximum rewards against Ireland on Day 1 of their one-off Test at Lord’s. For starters, senior paceman Stuart Broad bagged five wickets to skittle out the visitors for just 172.

Later, England brought its year-old BazBall approach to their batting to banish all hopes of an Irish fightback.

Stuart Broad sizzles with five to dust Ireland out for 172

After being put into bat by the hosts, Ireland could all but manage just 172 in their first innings upfront. Opener James McCollum top-scored for the side with 36, and formed a brief little 45-run partnership with senior teammate Paul Stirling.

Stirling himself struck a rapid 30 while Curtis Campher scored a crucial 33 down the order before both became two of Jack Leach’s three victims of the day.

The innings featured no other notable contribution as hosts pacer Stuart Broad teared through the top four with hostile swing bowling. The speedster removed Harry Tector and Irish captain Andy Balbirnie for ducks before claiming his fifth wicket by cleaning up tail-ender Mark Adair.

Broad’s new-ball partner Matthew Potts also joined in the party with two scalps to restrict Ireland’s innings till just 56.2 overs.

Crawley, Duckett pile on Irish pain with attacking 50s

England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett made sure the hosts kept the ball rolling with the bat as the duo listed sparkling half-centuries in double-quick time. Crawley was the first to depart after he was caught and bowled for 56 by Fionn Hand.

With Ollie Pope arriving at the crease at 109-1, the 25-year-old maintained the same run-scoring tempo with undefeated Duckett at the other end. The latter reached 60* off just 71 balls by stumps to mark his sixth half-century in Tests, as England raced to 152-1, i.e., just 20 runs within Ireland’s combined first-innings effort.

The one-off Test embarks England’s gruelling home season, which will subsequently feature a five-Test Ashes challenge against incoming Australians. Notably, the ongoing contest is a four-day fixture.