England are back in T20 action this week as they embark on a white-ball Tour of Ireland, hoping to secure a series victory as part of their preparation for the World Cup early next year.
With the Ashes just around the corner, England are resting a number of their multi-format players for the upcoming series. Captain Harry Brook is amongst the absentees, with Jacob Bethell set to stand-in as skipper – becoming the youngest man to captain England in international cricket.
The two sides will go head-to-head in three T20Is, all of which will be played at the Village in Dublin on September 17, 19 and 21, with the matches getting underway at 13:30 local time.
England have only played two T20Is against Ireland in the past – both coming in World Cups (2010 & 2022). They did face off in an ODI series in 2023, with England securing a 1-0 victory after two of the games were washed out. It will be the first time England have toured Ireland since 2019.
Let the fireworks begin!
How the squads shape up
England: Jacob Bethell (c), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Jordan Cox, Liam Dawson, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Scott Currie, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood.
Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Barry McCarthy, Jordan Neil, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.
Match Details
- 1st T20I: Wednesday 17 September, 1:30 PM – The Village, Dublin
- 2nd T20I: Friday 19 September, 1:30 PM – The Village, Dublin
- 3rd T20I: Sunday 21 September, 1:30 PM – The Village, Dublin
How to watch Ireland vs England
TNT Sports – the home of the England men’s cricket team this winter – will broadcast all three matches of England’s white-ball tour of Ireland.
Barmy Army prediction
We are unsurprisingly backing England to come out on top in this series, predicting a 3-0 win. While Ireland are expected to scrap hard on home soil, especially with the crowd behind them, England’s deeper batting order and more varied bowling attack should tilt the balance.
All eyes will be on Phil Salt, who fans expect to light up the series with aggressive power-hitting at the top of the order, fresh from his impressive run of form. This will also be a big test for Jacob Bethell in his early captaincy days. On the Irish side, Paul Stirling remains the steady hand and his ability with the bat is seen as their biggest danger to England’s attack, particularly if he gets after the spinners.
However, with England boasting the guile of Adil Rashid and co, the bowling unit is tipped to have just enough quality to outshine Ireland across the three games.
Barmy Army prediction: 3-0 England
