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So, with that, we come to the end of the coverage for the 1st of 3 one-day internationals between England and Ireland. Rain played spoilsport in Leeds. Hope Nottingham will provide for better weather and we will be a full game in. But for that, we have to wait till Saturday. For now, this is the pair of Pradeep and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda!
4:55 pm local time (9:25 PM IST): Right then friends, we have some news but unfortunately, it is not the one we wanted to tell you. The match has been called off due to wet outfield. The ground staff did put in their best effort to dry the wet patches but it was not enough.
4:10 pm local time (8:40 PM IST): The umpires are not too happy with a couple of wet areas on the outfield. The ground staff are doing their bit to dry those patches up quickly enough. Hopefully, the chat among the umpires results in start of play soon enough. There is no rain at the moment and there is another inspection scheduled at 4:45 pm local time (9:15 pm IST).
3:30 pm local time (8:00 PM IST): So the news coming in from Headingley is that the umpires will have another inspection at 4:00 pm local time (8:30 PM IST). The ground staff are working on drying the ground and getting the field ready for play.
3:00 pm local time (7:30 pm IST): Some good news coming in, the rain has stopped and the covers have come off as well and it looks quite brighter as we hear from the middle. That means, there's an inspection scheduled in the next 20 mins, fingers crossed!
2:30 pm local time (7:00 PM IST): Sorry to say this, but the rain has returned, not heavy and hopefully just a passing shower. Also, there was a scheduled inspection at 3:15pm local time, but that has to wait for now.
2:15 pm local time (6:45 PM IST): Rain has completely stopped, things are looking good at the moment, but there's more rain expected in sometime. Umpires are out there in the middle as well, stay tuned for more!
1:50 pm local time (6:20 PM IST): Rain has eased a bit in Leeds. If it stays this way, we should have the ground staff get the ground dry and ready for play sooner rather than later.
1:30 pm local time (6:00 PM IST): We still do not have any positive news to give you at the minute. The rain delay continues at Headingley and so does the wait for the toss. But do stay with us, we will keep you posted.
12:50 pm local time (17:20 PM IST): Not great news coming in, it's absolutely pelting down at Headingly and to let you know on the cut-off time for a T20 match, it's 5:32pm local time (10:02pm IST)
12:30 pm local time (17:00 PM IST): Not much has changed since the last update, there is no official news on whether the rain has stopped or not. It's about waiting for now.
That's how bad it looks at the moment!
12:05 local time (16:35 PM IST): Official news coming in, the toss has been delayed as the covers are on completely on the square!
The forecast isn't great either for the rest of the day, there is intermittent rain throughout and if that happens, we might be looking at a shortened game at some stage, but you never know!
Alright, with toss around the corner, it's was a bit overcast and the rain started as well and hopefully the toss happens right on time. As we bring you the latest, do stick around!
Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's live coverage of the first ODI between England and Ireland of this three match ODI series here at Headingley, Leeds! This is me, Pradeep and I'll shortly be joined by my dear friend and co-commentator Bidipto Datta as we take you through everything that transpires till the end of the first innings!
In case you're wondering about all the details pertaining to weather, probable playing XIs, read the article below that should get you going with the first ODI! 👇
We're just over two weeks away from the men's edition of the biggest event in the sport, the 50-over World Cup, kicking off in India. With the ten participant teams in the process finalizing their squads and coming towards the end of their preparation, there is simply no time to experiment at this stage.
Interestingly enough though, England have chosen to rest their World Cup squad for this 3-match rubber against Ireland. A completely new-look outfit - save for the exception of Joe Root for the first game - will look to leave its mark with those part of the contingent keen to have their moment in the sun.
From the outset, there's not much riding on this series from a World Cup perspective. England can, at best, line up a few backups should an SOS scenario arise owing to an injury in the middle of the tournament. Ireland haven't qualified for the event altogether but having blown more cold than hot in recent times, they will be keen to prove a point against a team whose nemesis they have proven to be in times gone by.
Ireland aren't averse to playing on English soil having played Bangladesh in a 3-match ODI rubber in May this year, apart from a T20I series against South Africa last year. The last time they faced England in their own backyard, they scripted a stunning chase of 329 in Southampton in 2020. That, coupled with their famed exploits in the 2011 World Cup and the T20 World Cup last year has cast them as massive giant slayers in the sport with fixtures against England seemingly bringing the best out of them.
Against a second-string English outfit, they will harbor realistic expectations of pulling off a historic series win. There is quality and talent aplenty across all facets - Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie, Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker headline the batting department while Josh Little, Craig Young and Barry McCarthy will lead the pace attack. In George Dockrell, Mark Adair and Curtis Campher, the Irish have enough quality all-rounders to fall back upon as well.
There are a couple of narratives here though. For starters, this is Ireland's first ODI series since Balbirnie relinquished his captaincy duties at the end of the World Cup Qualifiers. And speaking of the Qualifiers, Ireland promised a lot more before fizzling out, often flattering to deceive with the bat in particular. Individually, they are blessed with a number of match-winners but it is imperative that they all click in cohesion to challenge the hosts. It is something that Stirling, the skipper for this series, will hope transpires.
Speaking of England, there are a host of interesting names in their ranks. Zak Crawley has the chance to showcase his captaincy credentials with his partner-in-crime Ben Duckett appointed his deputy. It should come to nobody's surprise if they stick to their 'Bazball' approach particularly in a much-shorter format and against the white Kookaburra, although Duckett might well bat in the middle-order with Phil Salt likely to open the innings.
A long and hard wait is likely to end for Warwickshire's Sam Hain. The 28-year old averages a shade under 58 in List-A cricket and having shown consistency of the highest order across formats over the last year, he will be keen to grab his chance with both hands and show just why he deserves a long run at this level. Will Jacks lends plenty of firepower while Surrey's Jamie Smith, who is a hard-hitting batter in his own right, will don the wicket-keeper's gloves.
An injury has ruled Craig Overton out of the series but England do have the troika of Brydon Carse, Luke Wood and Matthew Potts to call upon in the seam attack. All of them have had international experience in some format or the other, as has leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed for whom a good series ought to put him in the mix as a potential late bolter for the World Cup should England need an injury replacement. George Scrimshaw and Tom Hartley are the other bowling options in the XI and it remains to be seen if they start straightaway or get a go at some stage as the series goes along.
On most days, England would start clear favorites but with the cream of their side unavailable, this is a game and a series that sits on an even footing. It's hard to pick between the two sides with Ireland outweighing the hosts on international experience. The lesser-known players in England's side also bring a factor of unpredictability though - they can certainly come out with the license to express themselves and blow the visitors out of the water in the process.
All in all, this series certainly has a number of intriguing narratives riding on it. Barring Root looking to return to form today, there won't be too much to read into from a World Cup perspective. But it certainly has the recipe for a cracking contest. And we wouldn't have it any other way!
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Headingley, Leeds
