Recent Match Report – Ireland vs England 1st T20I 2025
Toss – England chose to bowl first vs Ireland
Jacob Bethell won the toss and sent Ireland in with his first act as England’s youngest-ever captain. At 21, Bethell has broken an England record that has stood since the 19th century with his first experience of captaincy at full international, set by Monty Bowden who was 23 years old when he captained a Test match against South Africa in 1889.
England made two changes for the side that shattered records by scoring 304 against South Africa on Friday, with Jofra Archer and Harry Brook both rested. Rehan Ahmed, the legspinning allrounder, was carded at No. 4 as one of five spin options in the England side, while Jamie Overton came in as their third seamer.
It meant no place for Jordan Cox, a late addition to the touring squad after his player-of-the-tournament efforts in the Hundred for Oval Invincibles, with Sonny Baker, Scott Currie and Tom Hartley the other three unused members of the travelling party.
Ireland beat England in the only previous completed T20I meeting between the two teams, at the MCG three years ago, but are without two linchpins of their bowling attack in Mark Adair and Josh Little due to injury.
There was no room for the uncapped Ben Calitz in their XI despite captain Paul Stirling admitting on Tuesday that their middle order is “crying out” for a left-hander to take on opposition spinners, with allrounder Gareth Delany preferred. Ireland’s attack features four frontline seamers, with left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys also offering a new-ball option.
The weather forecast should allow for a full 20-over-a-side contest at Malahide, after heavy overnight rain in the Dublin area gave way to sunshine. The first T20I is not a total sell-out, but Cricket Ireland are expecting a healthy crowd with the temporary stands nearly full.
Ireland: 1 Paul Stirling (capt), 2 Ross Adair, 3 Harry Tector, 4 Lorcan Tucker (wk), 5 Gareth Delany, 6 George Dockrell, 7 Curtis Campher, 8 Barry McCarthy, 9 Graham Hume, 10 Matthew Humphreys, 11 Craig Young.
England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell (capt), 4 Rehan Ahmed, 5 Sam Curran, 6 Tom Banton, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Liam Dawson, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Luke Wood.