Ashish Ranjan
England will face Ireland in the opening ODI of the Ireland Tour of England at The Headingley in Leeds. This three-match ODI series in England is viewed as beneficial preparation for the English reserve strength, while the Irish team has already begun preparations for the 2027 World Cup.
In the previous match between England and New Zealand, England won the toss and elected to bat. They got off to a promising start, despite losing Bairstow early on. Dawid Malan defended from one end, continued to score as he tallied another century, and led his team to a formidable total of 311 runs.
In response, New Zealand did not begin as they had anticipated. The team lost by 100 runs because they lacked a player who could take charge like Malan did for England, despite a few strong knocks.
Ireland had last played against Nepal, where Ireland won the toss, and they elected to field. Nepal began well, lost a few wickets, but kept scoring at a rapid rate. Their third- and fifth-wicket partnerships were sufficient to bring them back into the game and put them in a favorable position.
By the end of the inning, they had scored a respectable 268 runs. Harry Tector and Curtis Campher’s half-centuries brought Ireland back and made the match interesting as they triumphed by only two wickets after a lackluster start.
ENG VS IRE 1ST ODI: H2H RECORDS
| Teams | Matches Won |
| England | 10 |
| Ireland | 2 |
ENG VS IRE 1ST ODI: PITCH REPORT
The Headingley in Leeds provides a pitch that is advantageous for both batters and bowlers. Particularly Pacers may appreciate seam and swing, which can be problematic for batters. After spending a few balls on the ground, they are free to execute their strokes. Teams that win the toss and elect to bowl average 243 runs in the first inning.
ENG VS IRE 1ST ODI: FANTASY PICKS
Zak Crawley: Crawley is not new to the international stage, but he has only recently debuted in ODIs. In three matches, he has scored 97 runs at a strike rate of 114.11 percent.
Ben Duckett: Duckett is looking forward to making the most of his opportunity in the ODI setup. He has amassed 146 runs while participating in six matches.
Paul Stirling: Stirling has been consistently commanding his team from the front, and he could do the same for you. In 154 ODIs, he has amassed 5598 runs and 43 wickets.
Andy Balbirnie: Balbirnie is a crucial member of the Irish squad. He has participated in 101 ODIs and scored 2,907 runs at a strike rate of 74.96.
Philip Salt: Salt is a youthful batter with explosive power who can turn the match around in a matter of balls. He has scored 460 runs in 14 matches and his fielding can earn you significant points.
Andy McBrine: McBrine is a talented and high-quality all-around player for the Irish national team. In 82 outings, he has scored 822 runs and taken 84 wickets.
Mark Adair: Mark has claimed 54 wickets while maintaining an economy of 5.83 in 41 ODI matches. He has scored 359 runs in these matches and would be a useful addition to the squad.
Curtis Campher: Campher has played 30 matches in this format of the game, accumulating 757 runs and 24 wickets. He is an affordable option.
ENG VS IRE 1ST ODI: PROBABLE PLAYING XI
Ireland: Paul Stirling(c), Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker(w), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Craig Young, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Joshua Little
England: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley(c), Joe Root, Philip Salt, Jamie Smith(w), Rehan Ahmed, Will Jacks, Luke Wood, Brydon Carse, Tom Hartley, George Scrimshaw
