Key events
1st over: Ireland 4-0 (Tector 4, Lewis 0) Issy Wong to start us off, and she’s zinging the first few in at the pads of Alice Tector, there’s an lbw appeal to start, but everything is sliding leg side from over the wicket. Fourth ball though belongs to Ireland, wide and fast, square driven stylishly for four. The last one is similar in length, but swings away from the edge and is almost nicked through.
It’ll be pace pace pace up top for England, with Wong and Filer in the side.
We’re up in Leicester for today’s game, where so many England women’s ODIs have been hosted over the years. Mild day, 20 degrees, says the weather readout.
Teams
Interesting! Alice Capsey will keep wicket, which some people (me) were keen to see during the World Cup, given how Amy Jones kept whacking the ball to catchers in the ring. Jones is rested, as are Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, while Heather Knight has retired. Plenty of change, some chances for fringe players. For Ireland, the promising young Alice Tector gets a chance to open the batting.
Ireland
Gaby Lewis *
Alice Tector
Amy Hunter +
Orla Prendergast
Rebecca Stokell
Leah Paul
Louise Little
Arlene Kelly
Cara Murray
Jane Maguire
Kia McCartney
England
Maia Bouchier
Sophia Dunkley
Jodi Grewcock
Alice Capsey +
Freya Kemp
Dani Gibson
Charlie Dean *
Mady Villiers
Issy Wong
Lauren Filer
Tilly Corteen-Coleman
England win the toss and bowl
Plenty of England players resting for this series, so Charlie Dean is captaining in place of Nat Sciver-Brunt. Dean has the coin fall her way and wants to chase. Ireland captain Gaby Lewis says she would have batted anyway, in time-honoured style.
Preamble
Geoff Lemon
Hello! It’s the first of September, which still counts as summer in the north of Europe, and it’s time for cricket. Been a long while since we had a women’s bilateral series in England this season, having come through the Hundred and before that the T20 World Cup, but we’re back now on the bread and butter of the international game.
Ireland had a disappointing World Cup, though they did finally get their first win at the tournament. Now it’s time to change format to the one-day game. England will be looking at this series as a chance to tune up in the middle format after a big focus on short-form hitting. There may be some teething problems for both sides.
