Section:GDN 1N PaGe:42 Edition Date:190724 Edition:03 Zone: Sent at 23/7/2019 23:46 cYanmaGentaYellowb
••• The Guardian Wednesday 24 July 2019(^42) Sport
Cricket Test matc h
TV Sky Sports Cricket
Radio BBC 5 Live Sports Extra
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Harris and Rob Smyth from 10am
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32°
England
Ireland
Venue Lord’s
Umpires R Palliyaguruge (Sri), Aleem Dar (Pak)
TV umpire P Wilson (Aus)
Referee AJ Pycroft (Zim)
11am (1st day of 4) Test match
Focus on Ireland
Test history
Ones to watch
Paul Stirling
A formidable one-day batsman,
Stirling is Ireland’s highest scorer
in ODIs with 4,038 runs at an
average of 37, but he has not hit the
same heights in the longer game
during the best part of a decade at
Middlesex. Likely to open in this
game, Ireland will hope for more
than the 68 runs he has managed in
his fi rst four Test innings.
Tim Murtagh
Another Middlesex player,
Murtagh recently took his 800th
fi rst-class wicket and shows no
sign of losing any of his threat,
despite being almost 38 years old.
Murtagh will probably share new-
ball duties with Boyd Rankin and
his four for 45 in Ireland’s debut
Test against Pakistan remain the
country’s best bowling fi gures.
England
Possible
RJ Burns, JJ Roy,
JL Denly, JE Root
(capt), JM Bairstow
(wkt), MM Ali,
CR Woakes, SM Curran,
SCJ Broad, OP Stone,
MJ Leach
Ireland
Possible
WTS Porterfield (capt),
PR Stirling, A Balbirnie,
JA McCollom, KJ O’Brien,
GC Wilson (wkt),
MR Adair, AR McBrine,
TJ Murtagh, WB Rankin,
CA Young
May 2018 lost to Pakistan
Ireland collapsed to 130 all out
in Dublin in reply to Pakistan’s
fi rst-innings 310 for nine declared.
They did better after following
on, scoring 339 thanks to 118
from Kevin O’Brien. Tim Murtagh
and Boyd Rankin then reduced
Pakistan to 14 for three to give
Ireland hope of a famous win but
the away side won by fi ve wickets.
March 2019 lost to Afghanistan
Ireland struggled in their fi rst
innings in Dehra Dun, scoring only
172 – Murtagh top-scoring with
54no at No 11. Despite an improved
showing in the second innings
where they made 288 on the back
of Andrew Balbirnie’s 82 , Ireland
were only able to set Afghanistan
a target of 147, which they passed
with ease to win by seven wickets.
Auditions set to begin at
Lord’s for Ashes hopefuls
On the eve of England’s fi rst ever
Test against Ireland perhaps it was
fi tting that the pitch, which is almost
in the centre of the square at Lord’s,
looked emerald green. It will not
stay that colour for long since it will
be exposed to a mower this morning
and a heatwave thereafter. Despite its
hue England have taken the unusual
course of picking two spinners in a
bowling-heavy lineup.
Root had no hesitation in naming
his side 24 hours before the toss. It
includes two debutants: Jason Roy,
occasionally of Surrey, and the less
familiar Olly Stone, occasionally of
Warwickshire. The former has been
confi ned to England duties, the latter
has recently been sidelined with a back
problem. Both play with pace, which
makes them exciting. Meanwhile three
others – Jack Leach, Rory Burns and
Joe Denly – will play their fi rst Test
matches on home soil.
It is unlikely that Lord’s can deliver
the same level of excitement as on
14 July when New Zealand were the
opponents and the destiny of the
World Cup was at stake. Yet there
remains a keen sense of anticipation
before this four-day Test.
For the Irish this is obviously a
landmark game for which 90% of the
tickets have been sold over the fi rst
three days. They know how to dream,
so perhaps when the next visit to Dub-
series and the side is in a state of con-
siderable fl ux. So many players are
eager to cement a place. At the top of
the order Burns, after six Tests and an
average of 25, is the old hand. He will
now be joined by the debutant Roy
with the 33-year-old Denly at No 3 and
about to play his third Test.
Over the next fortnight this trio
will meet contrasting challenges: the
canny seamers of the Lord’s expert
Tim Murtagh, who seldom reaches
80mph, will be followed by the pace
of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins
at Edgbaston. Roy, in particular, will
have to learn on the job, rather as Jos
Buttler last summer. Yet few begrudge
his presence in the team, especially
when the alternatives available
are considered.
With Buttler and Ben Stokes resting,
England have an excess of all- rounders
in their side, which may give the
Irish bowlers hope. Jonny Bairstow,
reunited with his gloves, will bat at
fi ve with Moeen Ali at six. The like-
lihood is that both these players will
drop two places come Edgbaston.
Among the bowlers Chris Woakes,
who has not played a Test for England
Roy will have to
learn on the job,
rather like Buttler
last summer
lin takes place the wifi code in the press
box there will have been updated
from “Bangalore 2011” (when Ireland
defeated England in the World Cup) to
“Lord’s 2019”.
For the English players there is also
plenty for which to play. The game
takes place on the eve of the Ashes
Vic Marks
Lord’s
Ones to wattch
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