Ireland beat England
London: Ireland beat England by seven wickets in the third Royal London one-day international at Southampton thanks to a thrilling final over. Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie starred as 329 once again proved to be the magic number for Ireland, who claimed only a second win over England in their history. Set an identical score to the one they finished on to famously beat England at the 2011 World Cup, a 214-run stand between Stirling and captain Balbirnie laid the foundations in the final match of the Royal London series. Stirling was run out for 142 while Balbirnie holed out for 113 with 50 still required from 33 deliveries, but Kevin O’Brien - the hero of Bangalore - fittingly got them over the line from the penultimate ball with seven wickets to spare under lights. After being asked to bat first, England had stuttered to 44 for three but Eoin Morgan’s fantastic 106 from 84 balls was the cornerstone of 328 all out in 49.5 overs, the captain sharing a 146-run stand with Tom Banton. Morgan, though, felt tightness in his groin and was restricted to a watching brief as Stirling and Balbirnie quietened the criticism of Ireland’s top-order following their under-performance in the first two one-dayers.