• 1st ODI: Headingley, Leeds – September 20
• 2nd ODI: Trent Bridge, Nottingham – September 23
• 3rd ODI: Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol – September 26

Scotland witnessed a thrilling and dramatic victory over Ireland at the World Cup Qualifier as Michael Leask played a pivotal role, smashing an unbeaten 91 off just 61 balls, including the final ball of the match. The encounter took place in Bulawayo, where Scotland found themselves in a precarious situation at 152/7 in the 34th over while chasing a challenging target of 287. However, Leask’s outstanding innings ensured a victorious start to their campaign.

On the other hand, Ireland faced a disheartening defeat, marking their second consecutive loss in Group B after being beaten by Oman in their opening match. With the World Cup Qualifier featuring ten teams, only two will qualify for the main tournament scheduled for October and November in India.

Reflecting on the remarkable victory, Leask expressed his joy, especially considering the past challenging encounters with Ireland. He emphasized the unity and strength of the team, highlighting that this victory is just the beginning of their journey, and they will continue to play with resilience.

Scotland aims to rectify the disappointments of the previous qualifying tournament in 2018, where they narrowly missed out on a spot in the World Cup due to a controversial lbw decision and untimely rain, resulting in a heartbreaking defeat against the West Indies. Similarly, Ireland faced a similar fate, failing to qualify after participating in the previous three World Cups.

Meanwhile, Oman currently leads the Group B table, having secured two consecutive wins, including a five-wicket triumph over the United Arab Emirates.

For Ireland, the defeat against Scotland has put them in a precarious position, and they may need to defeat former world champions Sri Lanka in their upcoming game to keep their hopes alive. Scotland, on the other hand, is set to face the UAE in their next match.

In another match, the UAE posted a total of 227/8, with Aayan Afzal Khan contributing an unbeaten 58. However, Oman comfortably chased down the target with four overs to spare, thanks to fifties from Aqib Ilyas, Shoaib Khan, and Mohammad Nadeem.

Andrew Balbirnie, the captain of the Irish cricket team, believes that defeating England in a Test match would be their greatest accomplishment in the sport. As underdogs, Ireland is preparing to face Ben Stokes’ men at Lord’s this week.

Ireland has built its reputation on their performances in white-ball internationals. They have achieved notable victories in the 50-over World Cups, defeating Pakistan in 2007, England in 2011, and the West Indies in 2015. They also triumphed over eventual champions England in the 2022 T20 World Cup. However, in their short Test history, Ireland has played only six matches and is still in search of their first victory in the longest format.

Four years ago, during their previous Test at Lord’s, Ireland dismissed England for just 85 runs but suffered a 143-run defeat when they collapsed to 38 all out in the fourth innings of the match.

“It didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but it gave us a glimpse of what would happen if we were to win a Test match,” said Balbirnie on the eve of the four-day Test.

“If we were to beat England, it would easily be the greatest achievement in Irish cricket.”

Nevertheless, Ireland faces an uphill battle, considering England’s strong record with 10 wins in their last 12 Tests since skipper Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum joined forces last year.

“We are aware that this England team is in great form leading up to the Ashes,” stated Balbirnie.

Ireland will be without the services of Josh Little at Lord’s. The young fast bowler, who performed exceptionally well for the Gujarat Titans in the recent Indian Premier League final, has been rested for the upcoming 50-over World Cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe. Little had also missed Tests against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka due to his IPL commitments.

Richard Holdsworth, Ireland’s high-performance director, defended Little’s absence, explaining that a Test at Lord’s, while significant for most players, is not the “pinnacle event” for their side this year.

“Of course, we would have loved to have him here, but I completely understand that he needs rest and preparation for our World Cup qualifier,” said Balbirnie.

“Josh played in an IPL final in his first IPL appearance, so I’m not naïve. He will attract attention from other leagues, and we might face this situation again, but he still has a strong desire to play for Ireland. I have spoken to him, and he still loves representing this team.”

Ireland Aims for Historic Test Win against England at Lord’s. Ireland’s cricket team is gearing up for their match against England at Lord’s, with hopes of securing their first-ever Test victory. This year has already been significant for Irish Test cricket, as they have played three Tests since April alone, marking a significant increase in their Test match schedule. Prior to this year, Ireland had played only five Tests over a span of five-and-a-half years after becoming full members of the ICC in 2017.

Lorcan Tucker, Ireland’s wicketkeeper-batsman, played a crucial role in breaking Ireland’s century drought in Test cricket. Tucker scored a century against Bangladesh in Mirpur earlier this year, becoming the first Irishman to achieve this feat since Kevin O’Brien in 2018. Both Curtis Campher and Paul Stirling also followed suit by scoring centuries in Sri Lanka shortly after. Although Ireland is yet to secure a Test victory, they are gradually finding their rhythm in the format.

At the age of 26, Tucker has limited first-class experience, having played only 18 matches, most of them in Ireland’s inter-provincial championship. He acknowledges the challenges of building an innings in the longer format but cherishes the opportunity to be a part of Test cricket. Tucker highlights the unique history and tradition associated with Test cricket, making it a special experience for him.

Tucker had a memorable moment at Lord’s last summer when he watched the Irish team play as a member of the MCC during England’s match against South Africa. Now, he will have the chance to walk down the Long Room and step onto the field as a player, which fills him with pride for himself and his family.

Reflecting on Ireland’s upcoming Test against England, Tucker emphasizes their goal of being a nuisance to the opposition, just as they did in their previous encounters. In 2019, Ireland bowled England out before lunch on the first day, and in the T20 World Cup, Tucker’s unbeaten innings helped secure a crucial victory over Australia. Despite the results not always going in their favor, Tucker believes that building a reputation for strong performances with bat and ball will earn them respect in international cricket.

While Ireland aims for future consistency in Test cricket, they are focused on making statements and demonstrating their capabilities as a team. Tucker acknowledges the smaller moments and improvements between matches that contribute to their growth. Ultimately, they aspire to establish themselves as a formidable Test team and compete more frequently in the longer format of the game.

In a surprising turn of events, 25-year-old Worcestershire fast bowler Josh Tongue is all set to make his debut for the England cricket team. He has been included in the playing XI for the one-off Test against Ireland scheduled to take place at Lord’s this week.

Originally called up as cover due to injury concerns over pacers James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, Tongue’s inclusion in the final XI comes as Anderson and Robinson have been given rest before the Ashes series, which begins next month.

What makes Tongue’s selection even more noteworthy is that he has been preferred over the experienced duo of Chris Woakes and Mark Wood. This decision by England’s team management to announce the side two days prior to the start of the match has raised eyebrows among cricket enthusiasts.

James Anderson has expressed his willingness to sit out England’s upcoming Test against Ireland, aiming to fully recover from a groin strain ahead of the Ashes series.

The 40-year-old, the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket history with 685 scalps, suffered the injury during a County Championship match for Lancashire against Somerset. This raised concerns of a potential repeat of the 2019 Ashes, where Anderson’s comeback was cut short after just four overs in the first Test due to injury. With his absence having a significant impact on England’s bowling attack, Australia emerged victorious by a margin of 251 runs.

Anderson’s scans, however, have shown promising results, leading to his inclusion in England’s 15-man squad for the solitary Test against Ireland at Lord’s, set to commence on June 1.

England’s management team may opt to rest James Anderson for the upcoming Test against Ireland, considering the Ashes opener at Edgbaston in two weeks’ time. Although Anderson believes he will be fit for the Ireland game, he acknowledges the possibility of sitting out to avoid any risks. His primary focus is on regaining full fitness for the first Ashes Test, and he is willing to skip the Ireland Test if necessary.

Expressing his optimism about his recovery, Anderson mentioned that the recent scan revealed a minor groin strain, which typically requires a 10-day recovery period. He has already commenced his rehabilitation and expects to resume running next week. Anderson emphasized that his current injury is different from the more severe one he suffered in 2019.

Reflecting on the situation, Anderson acknowledged that missing a game was disappointing but also recognized the silver lining. Given the demanding schedule of five Ashes Tests in just over six weeks, he considers his groin problem to be a blessing in disguise, allowing him to manage his workload effectively in preparation for the crucial Ashes series.

Ireland has announced a 15-man squad for the Lord’s Test against England ahead of the ODI series against Bangladesh. Craig Young and Connor Wolfert are back in the lineup, led by Andrew Balbirnie. Fast bowler Josh Little has been rested for the one-off Test against England despite being in the squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh. He has reportedly been rested due to a busy summer schedule.

Mark Adair, Curtis Camper, George Dockrell, Harry Tector, and Lorcan Tucker have been included in the squad. Andrew McBrine is the team’s only genuine spinner. Earlier in 2019, Ireland and England met for the first time in a white-ball match at Lord’s. In that match, the Irish lost to England by a huge margin of 142 runs. Ireland has not won in this format since getting Test status.

Last month, the Irish were whitewashed in the one-off Test in Bangladesh and the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. Ireland will start the Test against England on June 1. They will also play a three-day warm-up match against Essex at Chelmsford on May 26-28 as a preparation for the Lord’s Test.

Ireland Test squad: Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Camper, George Dockrell, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Tom Maes, Andrew McBrine, James McCullum, PJ Moore, Connor Wolfert, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Test match defeats to new teams are not new for Bangladesh. Earlier in 2019, the Tigers lost by a huge margin against Afghanistan at home. And this time, Ireland, who came down to play the fourth test in their history, is also eyeing the Bangladesh team. The story is quite old. When asked about Test status by the ICC trophy-winning coach Gordon Greenidge, he said that the team should not be given elite format status now. Which BCB did not like at all. The then-coach of Bangladesh lost his job for making such comments about his team. But, even after 23 years of status, the Test team could not become mature. Before the ongoing Dhaka Test, Bangladesh won only 16 of the 136 matches played. Loss in 102 matches. Tigers have been embarrassed many times in 5-day cricket outside the country. Even in home conditions, violence is not very beneficial.

Bangladesh’s weakness in the red ball is evident once again. The team is in trouble against Ireland, who got Test status in 2017. Those who have only 3 Test experience before, who came to play Test after almost 4 years, most of whom have no first-class cricket experience in the squad – they have put Bangladesh, who has experienced two eras of Test, under some pressure. The Irish took a lead of more than 130 by blowing away the fear of loss in the innings interval. However, fans are not surprised by such a situation against Ireland. The Tigers have had a bitter experience of losing against the Ancora team, who are behind in the rankings. In 2019, Afghanistan drowned them in despair in Chittagong. Rashid-Navira took a great victory of 224 runs only after playing the 3rd Test. There are 6 cricketers from the team that lost against the Afghans in the ongoing Test against the Irish. Can Shakib-Mushfiqur free the team from the fear of another Test tragedy?

The fifties from Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker saw Ireland slowly take a big lead. Lorcan Tucker and Andrew McBrien are proceeding cautiously after avoiding the threat of an innings defeat. They made a pair of fifty runs in 73 balls in fluent batting. Shakib Al Hasan is using the bowlers back and forth. However, the captain himself is not bowling much. No bowler can make an impact like that. Can only think a little about the batsmen. Ireland runs 199 for 6 in 74 overs. Tucker is playing 89 runs off 132 balls. McBrien’s run is 27 from 47 balls.

The visitors took the lead by 44 runs.

Bangladesh entered the field on the third day of the first test against Ireland on Thursday. The hosts started the day trailing by 128 runs. 6 wickets in hand. Captain Shakib Al Hasan started bowling for Bangladesh. Taijul Islam came to bowl in the second over of the day. Liton Das misses the chance with his fifth ball. Litton could not get the ball but went behind the wicket after being punched. Tector survived by scoring 9 runs off 52 balls.

Ireland’s first innings
Ireland was all out for 214 when Graham Hume bowled Mirage. After winning the toss, they went down to bat and were all out in 77.2 overs. Taijul Islam took 5 wickets. Taijul took these wickets with 58 runs after bowling 28 overs. Maiden gives 10. This is his 11th career, Fifer. Apart from this, Mehdi Hasan Miraj and Ebadat Hossain took 2 wickets each. Shakib Al Hasan came to bowl in the 66th over. He gave 8 runs by bowling 3 overs. Tector scored the highest 50 runs for the Irish. Apart from this, Tucker scored 37, Camper scored 34 and Adair scored 32.

First innings of Bangladesh
Bangladesh showed power in the first two sessions, but the third session did not go well. The hosts lost 5 wickets for 53 runs in just 16.3 overs. In Mirage’s fifty (55), the lead crossed 150. Mushfiqur scored the maximum 126 runs. 87 runs from Shakib’s bat. Litton played an inning of 41 runs. Ireland scored 214 runs in the first innings. Bangladesh scored 369 runs. Lead 155. McBreen took 6 wickets with 118 runs in 28 overs. Apart from this, Adair and White took 2 wickets each.