England began their T20I series in style, chasing down a target of 197 comfortably in sunny Malahide, taking a 1-0 lead with 14 balls remaining against Ireland. Phil Salt, who had scored his fourth T20I century in the previous game against South Africa, carried on in electrifying form with a scorching 89 off only 46 balls, just falling short of making an English record of most T20I tons.

It was just 21-year-old Jacob Bethell who became England’s youngest T20 captain after replacing Harry Brook. He contributed a brisk 24, with a huge six over midwicket, before he was dismissed in a soft manner.
Ireland, who were compelled to bat first on a green pitch, reached a respectable 196, largely due to a 123-run partnership between Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector. Paul Stirling had set the tone for the innings by hitting boundaries in plenty early on, but the fireworks came from the middle-order pair, both of whom scored half-centuries and abused England’s death bowling.

In spite of the total, Ireland lacked the services of injured bowlers Mark Adair and Josh Little. Without them, their absence was acutely felt as Salt and Jos Buttler charged to 74 in five overs, with the pair initially threatening to overtake their Manchester record-breaking Powerplay score.
Buttler fell for a quick-fire cameo, while Salt, after reaching fifty in 20 balls, steadied the innings before falling late. England wobbled briefly, losing three wickets in quick succession, but Jamie Overton finished the job with a clean strike over mid-on.

For Ireland, it was their second-highest T20I score at Malahide, but the margin of defeat revealed their shortage of bowling firepower. Stirling conceded the team was underprepared after a low-key summer, and England’s untroubled chase demonstrated the chasm between the two teams on the day.