LAST UPDATE | 25 Jul 2019
THE VERY NOTION that cricket’s stakeholders wanted to protect the longest, most prestigious format of the game by excluding nations like Ireland has always been questioned, but never has there been the irrefutable evidence to make it laughable.
For the second day running at Lord’s, Ireland — in their first Test against England and just their third in this format — have played with no shortage of skill and shown fantastic fight to utterly dismiss the theory they do not belong at this level.
In battling back in searing London heat after a difficult first session, William Porterfield’s side have retained the upper hand in this absorbing Test match, taking eight England wickets for just 122 runs after tea on day two.
Debutant Mark Adair continued his impressive individual performance with three wickets to help reduce England to 303 for nine in their second innings, the hosts holding a lead of 181 when play was cut short by thunder and lightning.
It means Ireland — requiring one final wicket to wrap up England’s second innings — have given themselves a superb chance of pulling off one of the biggest upsets in Test history heading into day three on Friday.
England had been well-placed at 171 for one second time around, a score built on a second-wicket stand of 145 between nightwatchman Jack Leach, who made 92, and Test debutant Jason Roy (72).
But England’s top-order let them down again, with seven wickets falling for 77 runs either side of tea as they slumped to 248 for eight on a ground where just 11 days earlier they had won the World Cup.
Sam Curran, not for the first time in his short career, then added valuable lower-order runs with a brisk 37 featuring two sixes before he holed out and Stuart Broad was 21 not out at stumps shortly after 6pm.
Ireland are playing in just their third Test, with the visitors losing on debut to Pakistan last year and against fellow newcomers Afghanistan in March.
But that did not stop them routing England on Wednesday, with seamer Tim Murtagh taking a superb 5-13 on his Middlesex home ground.
England resumed this morning on their overnight 0-0 after Ireland had made 207, featuring Andrew Balbirnie’s 55.
Unexpected opener Leach, who survived a Murtagh maiden on Wednesday evening, played watchfully but made the most of any loose deliveries.
Left-hander Rory Burns fell for six when he pushed hard at a Boyd Rankin delivery and edged a simple catch to wicketkeeper Gary Wilson.
Roy, looking to make England’s problem position of Test opener his own after starring in their World Cup triumph, off-drove a four off paceman Adair and hoisted off-spinner Andy McBrine for six.
Leach went to 47 with a straight-driven four off Stuart Thompson before his edged boundary through third man off the medium-pacer saw the Somerset left-arm spinner, playing his first Test at home, to his fifty.
Roy cut Thompson for his seventh four to complete a 47-ball fifty in just his second Test innings but the attacking batsman was denied a century on debut by a Thompson in-ducker that bowled him.
Leach, having surpassed his previous first-class best of 66, was dropped twice until eventually a defensive edge was held by Adair off the bowling of Murtagh.
England then suffered a self-inflicted wound when Joe Denly was run out after being sent back by captain Joe Root when the skipper was already two-thirds of the way down the pitch. Kevin O’Brien did the fielding work to lift Ireland.
The impressive Adair then had Jonny Bairstow lbw for a duck and when Root, whose 31 took 64 balls, tried to break the shackles by going down the pitch, he could only edge behind to the diving Wilson.
Chris Woakes soon became Adair’s sixth victim of the match and although Curran inflicted some damage with a quick-scoring cameo, Thompson had the Surrey left-hander caught on the boundary by James McCollum.
Ireland will hope to take the final England wicket early on Friday when play resumes at 11am, before beginning their chase for a historic first Test victory.
Test match, day two:
- England first innings 85 (T Murtagh 5-13, M Adair 3-32)
- Ireland first Innings 207 (A Balbirnie 55; S Curran 3-28, O Stone 3-29, S Broad 3-60)
- England second innings 303-9 (J Leach 92, J Roy 72; M Adair 3-66)
England lead by 181 with one wicket standing
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