England get over the line after hiccup

A PUMPED-UP Jonny Bairstow sealed a series win for England against Ireland — but Eoin Morgan’s team almost made a mess of a simple chase.

Bairstow equalled his country’s fastest one-day fifty, off just 21 balls, and went on to make a punishing 82 off 41. By the time he fell to left-arm quick Josh Little, England were 131 for four in pursuit of a modest 213, and well on their way to a 2-0 lead going into Tuesday’s final game.

But Little then removed Morgan and Moeen Ali — England’s captain and vice-captain — for ducks, and it needed an unbroken seventhwicket stand of 79 between Sam Billings and David Willey to settle home nerves. Victory came with more than 17 overs to spare.

Bairstow’s innings was admiringly described as ‘ridiculous’ by stand-in head coach Paul Collingwood. And it felt like the work of a player with a point to prove after his omission from England’s Test squad.

After Jason Roy had fallen for a third-ball duck, driving a wide half-volley from Craig Young low to cover, Bairstow crashed 14 fours and two sixes. The second of them brought him alongside Morgan’s 21-ball half-century against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2018, and he was soon equalling another England record — the 72 innings Joe Root required to tick off 3,000 one-day runs.

‘He’s been striking the ball absolutely beautifully in the nets,’ said Collingwood. ‘The way he played here showed how confident he is. He can win games of cricket in 20 overs.’ It was a good job Bairstow was in the mood. James Vince failed again to make a case for permanent inclusion when he was bowled by Curtis Campher for 16, while Tom Banton fell to Campher for the second time in the series, leg-before for 15.

After the first game, Morgan had called for his batsmen to stand up under pressure. But he then slashed Little to cover, before Ali top-edged a pull.

Earlier, England welcomed back left-arm seamer Reece Topley for his first international since the 2016 World T20 in India. Not until the last ball of Ireland’s innings, when he bounced out Andy McBrine, did Topley strike — 1,597 days after his previous wicket for England. It was no less than he deserved.

Campher — Ireland’s 21-year-old South African import — saved the tourists from embarrassment for the second time in three days with a spritely 68 as they recovered from 91 for six to 212 for nine, following up with his unbeaten 59 on Thursday. Never before has an Ireland cricketer passed 50 in his first two ODIs.