England’s Ashes celebrations almost came to an embarrassing end when they narrowly avoided defeat against Ireland, claiming a three-run victory under the Duckworth/Lewis method in Thursday’s one-day international in Belfast.
They spluttered to 203-9, with Oval hero Jonathan Trott and Ravi Bopara both dismissed without scoring, and only just managed to hold on as Ireland chased a revised total of 116 in 20 overs after a long rain delay.
Only debutant batsman Joe Denly and Luke Wright impressed after England elected to bat in overcast conditions. Opener Denly struck 67, while Wright’s 36 injected the innings with impetus after England slipped to 135 for six.
PHOTO: AFP
An underwhelming start included Trott being trapped leg before wicket by one which nipped back from Australian-raised Trent Johnston. Bopara also went without scoring to Johnston, after edging a drive to second slip.
Johnston’s opening spell of six overs, two maidens, two wickets for seven runs was a perfect way for him to celebrate his 100th appearance.
Matt Prior, captain Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah all perished to skied catches attempting big shots and when Denly was pinned leg before, attempting to swivel the returning Johnston to the leg-side, England were 135 for six.
Twice Wright cleared the ropes in a rapid 36, which dominated a stand of 42 with Adil Rashid.
Only a brilliant catch by John Mooney, flinging himself full length on the run from long-off, halted the 26-ball assault.
Persistent rain stopped the Irish beginning their pursuit for three hours, but they finally started with a revised target to aim for.
Ireland’s chase was propelled along by teenager Paul Stirling’s positive intent.
Stirling, an 18-year-old, hit four fours and a six in an attacking 30 which left them needing just over four runs per over from the final dozen overs. The hosts seemed to have blown their chance, however, when they subsided from 64-2 to 89-7.
With nine required from the final two deliveries, Johnston lofted to long-on and England 12th man Eoin Morgan prevented it clearing the rope by patting the ball back into play. Johnston and Kyle McCallan, Ireland’s final pair, ran two.
Johnston hit the final ball for four, but England held on for a narrow victory.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
RSS