Foakes keeps cool as nervy England survive Irish scare
England kicked off their World Cup summer with a t ense vi ct or y i n I r el and, as B en Foakes overshadowed f el - low debutant Jofra Archer with a match- winning turn in Malahide.
Archer was the most hyped of the six first- timers on show, three in each side, but while he opened his international account with a stump- toppling yorker and regularly hit 90mph, England would have been heading home defeated were it not for Foakes’ coolheaded 61 not out.
Chasing 199, the visitors were reduced to 66 for five when the Surrey wicketkeeper calmed things down and began the painstaking process of reeling in the target and delivering a four- wicket win with three overs to spare.
U n l i k e A r c h e r, Fo a k e s ’ chances of making the World Cup are slim, with the rested duo Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow untouchable among wicketkeeper- batsmen, but his contribution was easily the definitive one.
Foakes had already made a big intervention with a contentious stumping of Andrew Balbirnie that straddled a line between inspired and unchivalrous. Nothing in the rules spoke against his belated flick of the bails as Balbirnie’s foot lifted and if anything it offered evidence of the gloveman’s razor- sharp instincts.
Play began t wo hours late due to a sodden outfield, with the contest reduced to 45 overs a side as a result. Ireland were still dismissed 11 balls ahead of time as Liam Plunkett and Tom Curran responded t o Archer’s arrival by sharing seven wickets and did their
IRELAND innings best to remind the selectors of their value, combining to restrict the hosts to what had seemed a gentle total.
Archer was s e l e c t e d f o r new- ball duty but failed to land a killer blow in an initial four- over burst with Paul St i r l i ng t aking t he Sussex man for four boundaries. He
ENGLAND innings did not have long to wait to be involved in his first dismissal, though, stooping to catch Stirling as Curran made the breakthrough. England were off and running but Ireland were about to stumble from 55 without loss to 77 for four.
Plunkett prised out William Porterfield and Lorcan Tucker, while Curran needed a super take from Joe Denly to see off Kevin O’brien. The duo would b e back l at e r t o wrap t he innings up, but it was Archer’s return that captured the imagination. A rapid spell, littered with zippy bouncers, a clever slower ball and, crucially, a memorable wicket.
The target would not have s haken t he away dressing room but England lost James Vince for 18, brilliantly caught by George Dockrell off newcomer Josh Little, before Joe Root was pinned lbw by Tim Murtagh and Eoin Morgan bagged a three- ball duck.
Little, the teenage left- armer, did brilliantly, digging one in short and brushing the glove as England’s Dublin- born captain found himself cramped for room. The moment visibly energised the men in green, whose surge continued when Dawid Malan ( 24) became Li t t l e’s t hi r d v i c t i m, hel d one- handed by keeper Gary Wilson.
Denly, earning a first oneday cap in a decade, managed a fleeting appearance before recreating Vince’s demise. Another short ball, another full- blooded pull and another smart catch, with Boyd Rankin and O’brien the winning combination this time.
Foakes was at t he crease by now and he would ultimately ride the tension to see England home. After David Willey added 20, Curran ( 47 not out) joined Surrey teammate Foakes and the pair chiselled away 98 runs between them, turning a nervy day into a safe result.