Rashid picks up five to set up big victory over Ireland

Adil Rashid returned 5 for 27, the second-best figures by an England spinner in a One-Day International, as his team cantered to a seven-wicket win in the first of two ODIs against Ireland at County Ground in Bristol on Friday (May 5), with the second game scheduled for Sunday at Lord’s.

Rashid’s heroics meant that Ireland was bowled out for 126 after William Porterfield opted to bat upon winning the toss. Andrew Balbirnie top scored with 30 in 38 balls in an innings where Ed Joyce (23) and Paul Stirling (20), the opening batsmen, were the only others to make decent contributions.

Rashid's figures were second only to that of Vic Marks's 5 for 20, against New Zealand in Wellington in 1984, by an England spinner.

England, set just 127 to win, lost Jason Roy for a duck in the first over when he flicked Peter Chase to George Dockrell at mid-wicket. Alex Hales, the other opener, was then dropped on zero when Tim Murtagh failed to hold on to a caught-and-bowled chance. Hales made Ireland pay for the lapse, making 55 in 39 balls to remove any thoughts of an England loss, and victory was achieved in exactly 20 overs.

Both Hales and Eoin Morgan eventually holed out off Chase, the only Ireland bowler to take wickets to end with 3 for 44, but there was never any real chance of England losing with Joe Root finishing on 49 not out from 52 balls.

Earlier, Ireland made steady progress at 81 for 2 but lost its last eight wickets for 45 runs as it was dismissed with 17 overs to spare.

The innings started well after Porterfield won the toss and opted for first strike. Stirling smashed David Willey down the ground and went on to score all his 20 runs in boundaries, but he looked less comfortable against Mark Wood before being bowled middle stump.

That left Ireland at 40 for 1 in the sixth over, which soon became 46 for 2 from seven when Joyce was lbw trying to turn Willey off his pads.

A third-wicket stand of 35 between Porterfield and Balbirnie followed. Balbirnie looked good till Sam Billings caught his edge off Jake Ball behind the stumps. Porterfield's 13 off 45 balls ended when he chipped Root to mid-off. Gary Wilson was then lbw to Rashid to leave Ireland 93 for 5, and it never got better for the visiting side, ending when Rashid had Tim Murtagh caught in the deep off the last ball of the 33rd over.