Ireland record chase to win against England in 3rd ODI. Ireland’s captain Andrew Balbirnie and vice-captain Paul Stirling did 214 runs for the second wicket to take visitors to a record 329 hunt and win.
Ireland Record Chase To Win Against England
Balbirnie chose the first field in the series for the first time and would have been happy when Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and James Vince were released before the score reached 50. But Eoin Morgan and Tom Banton put together a stand with 146 runs to bring the hosts back to the top. Morgan was particularly belligerent when he headed for an 84-ball 106, his 14th ODI ton, including 15 fours and four sixes.
☘️ Andrew Balbirnie has become the seventh player to score 2000 runs in ODIs for Ireland 🎉 👏 #ENGvIRE pic.twitter.com/9MlIcXgUqT
— ICC (@ICC) August 4, 2020
Banton switched to his first ODI shortly before Morgan’s release, and he quickly followed his captain back into the locker room, becoming Gareth Delany’s first wicket of the series. Ireland regained even more momentum when Moeen Ali and Sam Billings were cheaply sent back by Curtis Campher and Craig Young.
England fought again in the form of a 73-year partnership between Tom Curran and David Willey, who scored 51 out of 42 balls – including three sixes – when Campher had caught him for a long time. Curran guarded the tail to bring England over 300 before they were all out for 328 in the 50th.
Ireland steadily set out to pursue the largest ODI chase to date, supplanting its famous win against the same opponent at the 2011 ICC World Men’s Cricket Championship, which, thanks to a 50 ball, chased a 328 goal had century by Kevin O’Brien. Stirling and Delany got the series’ first 50-run opening from both sides before David Willey tossed it behind his legs to get Balbirnie to the fold.
What a shot from Morgan to reach his 14th ODI ton 😍 #ENGvIREpic.twitter.com/reHtqBxirX
— ICC (@ICC) August 4, 2020
Stirling and Balbirnie quickly settled down and started to score freely against England’s spinners. After Morgan left the court and suffered a groin strain when hitting, Vice Captain Moeen Ali was responsible and he cycled through the bowling options as England looked for a way to break the growing partnership.
Vince had claimed the Balbirnie’s wicket in the second ODI and was about to fire the Irish captain again when the batsman completed a spin on his second ball. But the couple became more and more confident when it brought Ireland to its destination.
England finally made the breakthrough when Stirling retired for 142 – Ireland’s highest individual rating against England and the fourth highest overall victory in ODIs. The partnership was also the highest in Ireland against England and the second highest in all ODIs. Balbirnie fell on Rashid’s leg turn a few overs later and paused 113 to leave youngster Harry Tector and the seasoned head of Kevin O’Brien, who had to get 50 runs out of 33 balls.
The couple found boundaries at crucial moments and, supported by a few full-throw no-balls, decided with a ball to give Ireland the first points of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.
