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England humiliated by Ireland - 85 all out

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24th July, 2019
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England’s Ashes preparations were dealt a heavy blow last night when they were humiliated by Ireland, who bowled them out for 85 in the first session of the one-off Test match at Lord’s.

That was England’s lowest Test total since, well, not that long ago actually – they were rolled for 77 by the West Indies in January and for 58 by New Zealand just over a year ago.

England have a formidable bowling attack in home conditions, which has helped them to lose only one of the past 12 Test series they have hosted.

But Ireland’s routing of the home side underscored just how fragile England’s Test batting line-up has become.

Over the past 18 months, England’s average score in their first innings in Tests has been paltry at 245. And that’s despite their lower order bailing them out of trouble again and again.

In that time England, quite incredibly, have been four wickets down for 100 or less in 18 out of their 29 Test innings. Let that stat sink in for a moment.

Their top three against Ireland of Rory Burns, Jason Roy and Joe Denly was widely predicted in the British media to be the same one they’ll field in next week’s opening Ashes Test.

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It is arguably the weakest top three of any of the top eight-ranked Test sides in the world.

Between them Burns, Roy and Denly have made 441 Test runs at 23. Burns and Denly have had shaky starts to their Test careers while Roy has rarely opened in his first-class career and, similar to fellow ODI opener Aaron Finch, has a loose technique and questionable temperament better suited to white ball cricket.

Australia’s pace attack will cherish the chance to bowl at a trio of top order batsmen still trying to find their feet in Tests.

Burns (6), Roy (5) and Denly (23) all failed last night as Irish seamer Tim Murtagh (5-13) ran amok. About to turn 38 years old next week, Murtagh was bowling mostly between 118 and 123kmh as he got rid of Burns, Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes, with those last three all making ducks.

England’s Joe Denly (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Murtagh’s efforts should have reminded the Australian selectors that, on traditional English pitches, accuracy and skill win out over pace and intimidation.

When Moeen was out England was 7-43. That was almost as bad as in Auckland last year when the Kiwis reduced England to 9-27 on day one of the first Test.

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Coming, as it did, immediately after a 4-0 flogging in the Ashes, that collapse in New Zealand was one of the lowest moments in England’s modern Test history.

Yet if they are now defeated by Ireland, after losing their previous Test series 2-1 to the struggling West Indies, that would almost match it.

England, of course, are significantly understrength in this current match. They rested Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, while quicks James Anderson, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood were all unavailable due to injury.

Regardless, a loss to the minnows Ireland would be a horrendous lead-up to the Ashes against an Australian side that is ripe for the picking.

The fragility of the Australian batsmen has been exposed also in recent days as they have crumbled on a seaming deck in the intra-squad match in Southampton.

That would have put a smile on a lot of faces in the England camp. Then they got rolled for 85 by England and frowns abounded.

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