THAT’S ALL FOAKES! ENGLAND EDGE IRISH
FOURTH-CHOICE KEEPER GUIDES ENGLAND TO WIN
BEN FOAKES scored an unbeaten 61 from 76 balls to rescue England last night as their big World Cup summer got off to a shaky start against Ireland in Dublin. Chasing 199 in a shortened game, Eoin Morgan’s team were 66 for five but Foakes (right) and Tom Curran (47 not out) guided them to a four-wicket win. ‘It was tricky conditions, it was tough,’ said Foakes.
It was meant to be the tale of exciting debutant Jofra archer, but instead yesterday’s opening match of a huge summer was all about another player making his one-day introduction as Ben Foakes guided England to the most nail-biting of victories.
this looked sure to be a repeat of last year’s upset against scotland in Edinburgh when Ireland, inspired by a debutant of their own — 19- year- old business student Josh Little — reduced the No 1 side in the world to 66 for five chasing just 199 to win.
But Foakes, England’s fourthchoice white-ball keeper-batsman and highly unlikely to be picked for the world Cup, spared depleted England’s blushes with a display of old-fashioned, proper batting just when they needed it most.
skipper Eoin Morgan said: ‘we knew it was going to be challenging but three or four of us batted poorly. Ben Foakes and tom Curran were outstanding, though, and got us over the line. we found a way to win, which is nice.’
On archer’s debut, he added: ‘Jof started well. It’s hard to tell on debuts but it was an opportunity to get some overs under his belt.’
First Foakes put on 35 hardearned runs with David willey. then he survived what should have been an lbw on 37 to make 61 off 76 balls and lead England home by four wickets in the company of Curran — who finished unbeaten
on 47 — with 18 balls to spare. But England came close to what would have been a damaging defeat against a team who did not even qualify for the world Cup.
they ultimately got out of jail at the end of a troubled week which saw alex Hales thrown out of the squad at the will of Morgan and the senior players following his second failed test for recreational drug use.
It was still a bad day for those fringe batsmen given the chance to compete for the demoted Hales’ place.
admittedly, James Vince was the victim of a sensational catch by George Dockrell, Dawid Malan was impeded by what appeared to be a hamstring injury before he too was well caught by Gary wilson and Joe Denly was well snaffled by Kevin O’Brien.
But this did little to suggest England have strength in whiteball depth after four years of planning for the world Cup.
at least England can be satisfied with their efforts with the ball, as a tantalising glimpse of what archer can do in the bitter cold of Malahide seemingly brought the best from those England bowlers most under threat.
Liam Plunkett and Curran protected their patch by taking seven wickets between them as Ireland were dismissed for 198 in what became a 45- over match because of poor drainage.
and willey, who will probably survive the cut through providing a left-arm variation, bowled much better than figures of nought for 26 off six overs would suggest after Paul stirling and william Porterfield had ridden their luck against the new ball.
If that leaves the selectors with much still to ponder, as England now embark on six white-ball matches against Pakistan before they must make their final world Cup choices, then they can at least be satisfied with the opening dividend from their investment in archer. these were inauspicious circumstances for the first appearance of the Barbadian-born allrounder with an English father and a British passport, who the ECB seemingly reduced their qualification period from seven years to three to accommodate.
the Dublin skies were grey, the stands were half empty and the temperature barely touched double figures as archer eased his way into what most expect to be an outstanding international career with his adopted country.
But his first-ball loosener was smashed to the cover boundary by Middlesex’s stirling and it took him 21 deliveries before he touched the 90 mile per hour mark he seems to reach so effortlessly with that smooth, languid run-up. It was with his 38th delivery for England that archer, who had displayed his athleticism in the field by diving low to catch stirling off Curran, showed what all the fuss has been about since he turned his back on his native west Indies.
the first yorker archer attempted, and the third fastest of his four 90mph-plus balls, was too rapid for Irish debutant Mark adair, who had just hit Curran for two sixes in an over. It sent his off- stump crashing out of the ground for, in all likelihood, the first of many wickets for England.
If that was the big moment for one England debutant, then there was also a glimpse of pure class behind the stumps from Foakes, who brought his outstanding
keeping to the white-ball game in the absence of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Sam Billings.
There may have been an element of opportunism when Foakes waited for Andy Balbirnie to lift his heel after missing an attempted sweep off Denly before he whipped off the bails, but this was still a sharp and perfectly legitimate stumping.
But it is for his heroics with the bat Foakes will be remembered in this match, as he provided another demonstration of the ability that means he is desperately unlucky not to be a regular member of England’s white-ball side, let alone the red-ball one.