Bairstow, Root, Morgan complete 2-0 series win for England

England gained some measure of revenge for the 2011 World Cup shellacking in Bangalore by completing a 2-0 series win over Ireland on a historic day for Irish cricket on Sunday (May 7). In its first One-Day International against England at Lord’s, Ireland fell 85 runs short of the 329 target.

Eoin Morgan, the Dublin-born England captain, top-scored with 76 before Jonny Bairstow’s unbeaten 72 off 44 balls took the home side to a commanding total of 328 for 6 in the second ODI. Joe Root chipped in with 73 in a third-wicket stand worth 140, before picking up three wickets to dismiss Ireland for 243 in 46.1 overs.

Both captains wanted to bowl on a Lord’s morning as overcast and chilly as a typical St Patrick’s Day, but Ireland's William Porterfield called correctly and Jason Roy and Alex Hales walked out.

England looked to pick up where it left off two days earlier, having cruised to the small target in Bristol in just 20 overs; Ireland wanted to square the series, bolstering its case for Test status.

While Peter Chase never came to terms with the Lord’s slope, Middlesex’s Tim Murtagh gave little to hit on his home ground. When Alex Hales drove an outswinger to the boundary, Murtagh brought the next one back up the hill to clatter the opener’s middle stump – clever, skilful bowling from an old pro with nous to burn.

Once Murtagh (6-0-16-1) was withdrawn by Porterfield and despite the bustling Barry McCarthy suckering Jason Roy into hitting one straight at Paul Stirling, no Irishman was able to bowl with the extreme discipline England’s aggressive batting demands from opponents these days.

The ‘captaincy’ partnership – red ball’s Root and white ball’s Morgan – kept the scoreboard ticking over, then accelerated with boundaries all round the fast outfield from shots orthodox and unorthodox. They were only separated after posting 140 for the third wicket at just over a run a ball.

With Ireland keeping its head, what had long looked like a 320-plus innings ran the risk of falling well short until the Yorkshire pair of Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid found their ranges late on with a flurry of boundaries and scampered twos to set Ireland 329.

Bairstow finished on 72 not out, his last 52 runs coming from 21 balls.

Up top, in picture-book spring sunshine, Paul Stirling did what he does at Lord’s for Middlesex and stood stockily to drive and pull his way to 48, with eight fours and one six before being given out on review. Ed Joyce soon fell to a dart from Root, gone for 16 in the 16th over. The Irish innings was stalling and needed some energy.

With the required rate climbing towards 10 per over – not something you want to see with 16 overs still to go – Kevin O’Brien perished attempting to hit a third six from his tenth ball. Although Porterfield was constructing a solid knock, Root and Rashid delivered 19 overs of spin for a combined 4 for 105, before Rashid’s last six deliveries went for a figures-ruining 15.

With the freedom that an all-but-gone match gives batsmen, George Dockerell and Porterfield played a shot a ball. But, when the skipper played one too many – attempting to ramp 90mph Mark Wood – to quit the crease with a match top score of 82, the game was up and England’s thoughts turned to the three-match series with South Africa later this month.

Ireland, meanwhile, will travel home for a tri-series with Bangladesh and New Zealand starting May 12.

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