Lunch Ireland 78 for 4 (McCollum 29*, Broad 3-21) vs England

With new-ball companion James Anderson sitting out to handle his return from a groin drawback forward of the Ashes, Broad opened the bowling in tandem with Matthew Potts after Ben Stokes had received the toss and brought the predictable however sensible resolution to ship Ireland in underneath overcast skies.

Potts produced a probing line, beating the surface edge a variety of instances in his first two overs, but it surely was Broad who broke by way of with the second ball of his third, a fuller one which pitched a fraction exterior off stump then angled again superbly as PJ Moor walked throughout his stumps and was struck midway up his entrance pad according to center and leg.

Zak Crawley pulled off a wonderful dive low to his left from second slip to snaffle Andy Balbirnie's exterior edge because the Ireland captain departed for a five-ball duck and Broad claimed his second. Harry Tector adopted two balls later, advancing to Broad and tucking the ball straight to Potts at leg slip for no rating.

Broad thought he had a fourth wicket instantly, as did umpire Paul Wilson, when he struck Stirling flush on the entrance pad as he performed throughout the road, however Stirling survived on overview when ball-tracking confirmed it to be lacking leg stump by a whisker.

McCollum was secure on an England overview for caught behind off a Tongue quick ball which beat his inside edge, nipped again sharply and simply evaded the bat because it sailed over the stumps, brushing his thigh pad because it handed. McCollum then needed to duck underneath a 91mph bolt. Both deliveries had been bookended by a pull which Ben Duckett did properly to save lots of from going for 4 as he ran spherical from lengthy leg and a stunning checked drive which pierced the covers and did discover the boundary to take Ireland previous the paltry 38 they managed after they had been bundled out of their final look at this floor, as England overcame 85 all out within the first innings to win by 143 runs in 2019.

At the interval, McCollum had confronted 93 deliveries for his knock whereas Stirling reached 30 off 35 balls, together with back-to-back fours off Tongue amongst his 5 boundaries, earlier than he formed to brush Jack Leach and the ball looped off his glove to a ready Jonny Bairstow, again behind the stumps after 9 months out of worldwide cricket due to a freak leg fracture suffered whereas enjoying golf.

Stokes had stated on the toss that he was wanting ahead to seeing what Tongue might provide and his figures of 6-3-18-0 on the first meal break of his debut Test provided meals for thought.