One-off Test, day two: Ireland (97-3 & 172) (Harry Tector 33*; Josh Tongue 3-27) trail England (524-4 declared) (Ollie Pope 205, Ben Duckett 182; Andy McBrine 2-99) by 255 runs.
It is a measure of the dire situations Ireland have found themselves in that finishing day two of their Test match against England with Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker unbeaten and the game unfinished as of yet feels like somewhat of a moral victory. That is, until you check the scorecard.
Given England’s dominance with the bat, reaching 524 for the loss of just four wickets, an innings defeat inside two days at times looked on the cards for the visitors. Yet despite an early flurry of wickets and injuries that saw three Irish batters out of action with just 25 runs scored in the evening session, survival into day three at Lord’s was ensured.
Ireland’s lack of threat with the ball ensured that every dismissed England batter reached at least 50 before departing. The entire morning session was wicketless, Ben Duckett continuing to wreak havoc after he raced to 60 on Thursday night. Alongside Ollie Pope, they punished Ireland’s lack of control with consistent boundaries in a mammoth stand of 252.
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Duckett largely cut and pulled his way to a first century on home soil, with a few drives thrown in for good measure. The left-hander is historically a good player of spin, but nonetheless the decision to not bowl off-spinner Andy McBrine until after he had past 100 confused many.
In the afternoon session, Graham Hume finally got a delivery to swing back, take the inside edge and castle into Duckett’s stumps. Apart from a running mix-up that would have led to a dismissal if the throw had gone to the right end, it was the first genuine chance Ireland created all day.
That brought Joe Root to the crease. He was the more sedate of the two in the partnership with Pope of 146, scoring just five boundaries but nonetheless reaching 56 off 59 balls. His knock saw him pass 11,000 Test runs, just the second Englishman to do so.
McBrine was dealt with harshly via an array of sweeps and blows down the ground, but earned some reward for his toil when finally spinning one through Root’s defences. He picked up a second when firing in a wide delivery with Pope advancing, Lorcan Tucker whipping off the bails to complete the stumping after he failed to make contact. Pope’s effort of 205 was the fastest double-century hit on English soil.
Decision time for England. Harry Book, not out on nine, and Jonny Bairstow, sat in the changing room in his first international since breaking his leg, both could do with time in the middle. Yet a declaration also made sense if England decided a run out against a tiring, toothless attack was not useful preparation for the two with Australia and the Ashes looming large.
England captain Ben Stokes decided with 524 on the board – a lead of 352 – enough was enough. Time to bowl once again.
The hosts then proceeded to once again illustrate to their visitors what they were lacking with the ball. Day one say Stuart Broad build momentum and cash in on Irish mistakes. Today, debutant Josh Tongue was the one to display the X-factor Ireland lacked.
His first Test wicket – after failing to earn a scalp in the first innings – was somewhat fortuitous, but nonetheless reward for getting the ball to move off the surface. For the second time in the match, PJ Moor was dismissed LBW, this time to a delivery that kept low. An ill-advised review failed to save him.
Andrew Balbirnie followed him back to the dressingroom just five balls later, sending an edge through to Bairstow behind the stumps when trying to cut. Tongue had a third in the sixth over of his spell, the short ball theory bearing fruit when Paul Stirling gloved behind a snorting delivery to Bairstow.
Before his dismissal, Stirling looked at his vintage best. Three boundaries with strong off side stroke play suggested effortless form. England responded by refusing to feed the shot any longer, instead opting to go short.
On a day when everything went against Ireland, even luck deserted them with the injury that took James McCollum from the field of play. While twisting out of the way of yet another short ball, Ireland’s opener landed awkwardly on his ankle, collapsing in a heap. He retired hurt and was subsequently taken to hospital for scans.
Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker stemmed the bleeding until the close. Tector played off the back foot through mid wicket well, while Tucker worked Jack Leach for a series of boundaries before pulling Broad with authority.
That Ireland avoided the calamity of a defeat inside two days is an important psychological box ticked. Making England bat again on day three would be a the closest they see of victory with a crushing defeat looming.
