Live Match 1st ODI: England v Ireland at Southampton, Jul 30, 2020 Live Score

7.58pm: Right, thanks for your comments and company, we’ve had a day out in the south-coast sun… Matt has wrapped the game, not quite the full 100 overs but a jaunty whack for the first ODI on English soil since the World Cup. Can Ireland bounce back and give a better showing of themselves on Saturday? You can be sure we’ll be here to find out. For now, from myself, Shashank, Venkat and Chandan, it’s over and out. Ta ra!

7.43pm: Here we go with the post-match… Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie: “Very disappointing, we didn’t assess conditions early enough, had a bad 5-6 overs and we can’t afford that. Our training has been good but you can’t replicate matches and maybe there was some rust. Need to be able to assess conditions better. They bowled well up front, but Curtis Campher was very good, he dug in and got a decent score. We managed to get in the game but 170 is never going to be enough. [Campher] Old-school one day innings, we need a battling innings, he got a score and that’s what we needed. Harry Tector has a big future, the two of them, delighted to give them their debuts. [McCarthy injury?] Haven’t caught up with him, Barry’s been leading our attack, big part of the squad and hopefully it’s not too serious. [Changes?] The guys that have gone out today need a chance to redeem themselves, not a lot of technical stuff you can do but just get back out.”

England captain, Eoin Morgan: “Pretty happy, winning the toss and bowling isn’t always easy here but David Willey was outstanding today. Where he’s been in the last year or so, missing out on the World Cup, it’s a fantastic story and comeback. Delighted to have him back and firing. He and Saqib were outstanding, they really did peg Ireland back. Having posted a relatively low score it’s always nice to get a partnership, me and Sam got going, delighted to star the series with a win. The more times we can see guy sin pressure situations, the more we can find out about them. [Billings took chance] Today was a good example, some guys didn’t come off, but there’ll be similar situations and we want guys to push to be in our strongest 15. [Strength in depth] Great feeling, down to the success of the 17-18 over last four years, the guys who held on to their spots have excelled and added to the value of the team, so you need to do something special to get into the final 15. [Use squad?] We’ll see how guys pull up, it’s a quick turnaround for the bowlers, so well make assessments.”

David Willey is Man of the Match: “Absolutely, wasn’t sure whether my opportunity would come again after 12 months, loved being out there and wearing the three lions and it was a bonus that I did well. [World Cup?] Been a part of the group for four years, to miss out at 11th hour was difficult. Given circumstances, Covid’s given me this opportunity, it was about going out and enjoying every minute. As it got close to World Cup selection, you start thinking about that, but it’s come and gone and I missed out. I’m 30, however many games I play, I’m going to make sure I enjoy them. I play my best cricket when I’m enjoying it and hopefully results like that keep coming.”

7.30pm Not quite an edge-of-the-seat thriller, but you would’ve been a diehard romantic to have expected one anyway. England have shown why they’re among the feared ODI teams. Not even being 78 for 4 in a middling chase have them in any doubts whatsoever. Billings and Morgan continued their sustained attack as the runs started to bleed. Ireland’s attack became pretty cold at the first sign of a counter from England.

Not all was doom and gloom for the visitors though. At 29 for 5, there was a real danger of this being a sub-100 score, and thereby an absolute cake walk for the hosts. That they were made to work a bit for the win was thanks to debutant Curtis Campher, who constructed a sturdy unbeaten 59 to take them to 172. His lower order rally with Andy McBrine helped bring some respectability to their total. But of course their batsmen will need to do much more if they are to find a way back in this series.

England would be pleased with the efforts of David Willey, who returned to action with a superb five-for. There was swing, pace and some superb variations in length upfront with the new ball. Saqib Mahmood was fast, too, even if at times slightly off the radar. That he came pounding in from get go and let it rip is an encouraging sign for England. Presentations shortly.

Can he finish it off with a six?

This is Sam Billing’s ODI best

karan: “McCarthy, Murtagh, Adair are literally Ireland’s best bowlers. Such a shame all 3 are out!”

Matt with an update on McCarthy through Ireland’s team manager: “He tweaked his knee in that first over (think the first ball of the innings). That’s about as much as we have at the moment.”

Pratik: “Billings never disappoints in his limited appearances for England. Wish he plays for regular side as well and make most of it.”