England Vs Ireland : Live Updates!

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World Cup Super 8, Guyana: England v Ireland
Match starts 1430 BST Friday

England will be pleased to have Andrew Flintoff available

Key all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has been passed fit to take his place in England's line-up for Friday's World Cup Super 8 match against Ireland.

The 29-year-old has overcome a stomach virus that affected his preparations.

"Freddie is fine," captain Michael Vaughan said on Thursday. "He played a full part in practice, so he's fit and firing going into tomorrow's game."

Ireland, meanwhile, should be boosted by the return of captain Trent Johnston following a shoulder injury.

Vaughan watched Wednesday's match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at new Providence Stadium, noting conditions similar to the sub-continent.

He said the option to bring back spin all-rounder Jamie Dalrymple, who has struggled with bat and ball this winter, would be considered.

That would mean Ravi Bopara once again returning to drinks duties.

"It's definitely something we'll talk about," said Vaughan.

I certainly believe we have enough good players to go out and beat England Ireland's Eoin Morgan

"With this kind of wicket and the size of the outfield, whether we need that second spinner to come into the side is something we'll talk about."

Ireland have already knocked Pakistan out of the World Cup and England know they need to improve on the form they showed in beating Canada and Kenya.

606: DEBATE One would hope that England give a clear statement of intent by thrashing Ireland KT

And they are determined to prove their progress to the Super 8 phase of the tournament was no fluke.

Left-handed batsman Eoin Morgan, a Middlesex professional, said: "Coming into the competition we recognised the talent we had in the side and we knew we had the ability to cause a major upset.

"We did that against Pakistan and the confidence that gave us is huge.

"I certainly believe we have enough good players to go out and beat England."

Ireland's Dave Langford-Smith has a vital job with the new ball

Ireland were certainly not disgraced when the two sides met in Belfast last summer, replying to England's total of 301-7 with 263-9 in a 38-run defeat.

Making his debut against the country of his birth that day was England's opener Ed Joyce.

The left-handed batsman is now able to supply England with some inside information about their opposition.

He said: "Ireland play as a unit very well. They field very well, they bowl as a unit - they've got a lot of medium-pacers and spinners who bowl very straight - and they bat way down to number 10."

Joyce believes England must impose themselves on the game early - if they bat first they need a positive start, but must keep wickets in hand.

"Myself, Michael Vaughan and Ian Bell are not massive hitters, so it's a case of using what we've got in the side to do well.

"We have to get the team off to a good start. We want KP [Kevin Pietersen] and Fred [Flintoff] coming in when the shine is off the ball and they can show what they can do."

I haven't scored enough hundreds. If I get to 70, I should be getting to 100" Kevin Pietersen

The return of Johnston undoubtedly strengthens an Irish bowling attack, which also includes off-spinner Kyle McCallan, who has been taking advice from West Indies Test great Lance Gibbs.

"The way he grips the ball is completely alien to the way I grip it. He talked about gripping it hard, spinning it hard. I try to give it a rip but not the way he did," said McCallan.

England will start as favourites, and Pietersen's recent elevation to the top of the world one-day batting rankings has only served to provide him with a further spur.

"There are a lot more important things than rankings, like winning the World Cup and to be winning games with this team," he said.

"I haven't scored enough hundreds. I have scored three international one-day centuries and they came in my first 10 matches. It's a mental thing for me. If I get to 70, I should be getting to 100."

England (from): M Vaughan (capt), J Anderson, I Bell, R Bopara, P Collingwood, J Dalrymple, A Flintoff, E Joyce, J Lewis, S Mahmood, P Nixon, M Panesar, K Pietersen, L Plunkett, A Strauss.

Ireland (from): T Johnston (capt), A Botha, J Bray, K Carroll, P Gillespie, D Langford-Smith, K McCallan, J Mooney, P Mooney, E Morgan, K O'Brien, N O'Brien, W Porterfield, B Rankin, A White.

Umpires: Simon Taufel (Aus) and Billy Doctrove (WI)

WORLD CUP SUPER 8, GUYANA:
England 8-1 (2 overs) v Ireland

Ed Joyce suffered an ignominious early dismissal against his former team Ireland, as England slipped to 8-1 after two overs in Guyana.

Joyce, who chose to play for England after helping the Irish to qualify, left Boyd Rankin's first ball only for his off-stump to fly out of the ground.

Michael Vaughan won the toss and chose to bat after naming an unchanged team.

Vaughan clipped a delightful boundary off his pads in Dave Langford-Smith's opening over.

606: DEBATE Give your thoughts on the match

Text us on 84040, email tms@bbc.co.uk or contribute to 606

2nd over: WICKET - Joyce b Rankin 1, Eng 6-1
Joyce is out! Shouldering arms to the burly Rankin and losing his off-stump. Whoops-a-daisy, Martin Hayesy. Not sure what Joyce was thinking there, that hasn't just shaved his off-stick, that's almost snapped the blighter in half. Bell is next up the ramp and he's squared-up by a good length delivery from Rankin. A handful, Rankin, but Bell survives the over.

"Someone said this game was a potential 'banana skin' for England. When half your family are Irish and you are visiting them over Easter, it is much more significant than that. Personally, I would class it as England?s most important Super 8 contest."
Andrew Heath in the TMS inbox

"I'm eagerly awaiting the match to start sat here in my office, but I must say I am amazed to hear you are still in London and the BBC have not sent you to the Caribbean. This is a farce, a farce I say!"
Andrew Brook in the TMS inbox

1st over: Umpire Doctrove, looking like the Man from Del Monte in his Panama hat, signals the start of play and Langford-Smith gets one past an airy drive by Joyce first up. It was, however, a no-ball. Joyce is off the mark with a thick outside edge down to third-man. Crackerjack stroke from Vaughan, timing the ball through mid-wicket for four. Six from the opening over, a comfortable one for England.

1429 BST: Players are out and battle is about to commence. Langford-Smith to have first go with the pill.

1428 BST: Vaughany needs a few runs today to keep the wolves from the door. No question of him being dropped, of course, but it's becoming clearer and clearer that he's not in the team for his runs at the moment.

1418 BST: Mixed loyalties today for Ed Joyce - a native of County Wicklow but opening up for England. I was reading The Sun yesterday, and his old man said he wanted Ireland to win. Fair enough. I was in an Irish pub last night and a man who has never lived in Ireland in his life spent most of the night putting me in a headlock and singing the Fields of Athenry very noisily in my ear. Eejit.

1415 BST: As I made my way to work this morning, I got the feeling that the mucking about was over and the serious business was about to start. Then I saw a woman at London Bridge station flogging papers with teabags on her eyes and I realised the Cricket World Cup doesn't really matter that much.

Ireland: J P Bray, W T S Porterfield, E J G Morgan N J O'Brien (Wkt), K J O'Brien, A C Botha, D T Johnston (Capt) W K McCallan, A R White, D Langford-Smith, W B Rankin.

England: M P Vaughan (Capt), E C Joyce, I R Bell, K P Pietersen, P D Collingwood, A Flintoff, R S Bopara, P A Nixon (Wkt), S I Mahmood, J M Anderson, M S Panesar.

1404 BST: Hello everybody. England skipper Michael Vaughan has won the toss and England are going to have a bat. Ireland have made two changes - Trent Johnston is back from shoulder trouble and replaces John Mooney, while Dave Langford-Smith was also passed fit following back spasms. England are unchanged from the side that beat Kenya.

England: 12-1 (3.5 overs) 😕😡😡

England: 21-1 (5.0 overs) 😕

ohh vaughan goes..dey are in trouble here... 😛

England: 23-1 (5.1 overs) 😊

engalnd is in big trouble 2 out 😡

England: 23-2 (5.2 overs) 😡

I am so sad coz 2 are out. 😭

WORLD CUP SUPER 8, GUYANA:
England 26-2 (7 overs) v Ireland

Ireland seamer Boyd Rankin claimed two early wickets as England stuttered to 25-2 after six overs in Guyana.

The rangy Rankin struck with his first ball as former Ireland batsman Ed Joyce played no shot to one that seamed back superbly and uprooted his off-stump.

Ian Bell got off the mark in fine style with a fluent drive to the cover boundary but then lost Vaughan.

The England captain, who chose to bat in an unchanged side, hit one four but edged tamely to keeper Niall O'Brien.

LATEST ACTION AS IT HAPPENS (ALL TIMES BST)


606: DEBATE
Give your thoughts on the match

Text us on 84040, email tms@bbc.co.uk or contribute to 606

By Ben Dirs

7th over: 26-2
Another wide from Langford-Smith, but he almost cleans up the Shermanator next up, Bell jamming down on the ball and almost squirting it onto his stumps. Funereal progress so far by England.

"Ian Bell looks like the sort of chap whose bedroom hasn't changed since he was five years old, possibly with matching Superman curtains and duvet cover - on his cabin bed..."
David Simmonds in the TMS inbox

"If, after say 20 overs, if England aren't doing very well, can we all Boo them really very loudly?"
Sean, Bristol, in the TMS inbox

Wicket falls
6th over: WICKET - Vaughan c N O'Brien b Rankin 6, Eng 23-2
Good golly, as the Welshman to my left just exclaimed, the England skipper is out! Prodding at an on-the-money Rankin delivery and edging to O'Brien behind the timbers. England in bother, KP is next in. Pietersen gets off the dreaded nought with a push for a couple into the covers. If Pietersen was a rock group, he'd be a 70s prog rock outfit, like Emerson, Lake and Palmer, or early Genesis. I can just see him now, dancing down the track dressed as a giant flower and clobbering Rankin over long-off. Nixon would be Go West.

5th over: 22-1
Doozy of a drive from Bell, the ball running away to the extra-cover boundary. Leg-side wide from Langford-Smith and he slings down another for good measure. Bell flicks Langford-Smith off his legs for a couple and gets another single for a clip to backward-square. Vaughan shows the maker's name and is beaten. Watchful start by England.

"There seems to be a dominance of people called Andrew on the TMS commentary today. Can you add me to make it 3 out of 3?"
Andrew Baines in the TMS inbox

4th over: 12-1
Nervy old start this from England. Vaughan screeches a lady-like 'no!' at Bell after a dab to point. The England skipper looks as nervous as Nathan Bracken walking through a red light district. Maiden over.

"Has Joyce, racked by guilt for not representing Ireland, thrown his wicket on purpose, thus proving blood is thicker than water?"
Neil, Sheffield, in the TMS inbox

3rd over: 12-1
Vaughan gets one for a clip off his legs. Bell is beaten outside off-stump by Langford-Smith and this is a dicey old start by England. Bell does get one for a flick off his pads. Not much atmos in Guyana's Providence Stadium, it sounds like a Keith Pont's benefit match out there. Seems like a decent bloke, Bell. In fact, he's the sort of bloke some girls' mothers might be a bit suspicious of. As in, 'I'm not sure about that Ian, he just seems a bit too nice...'.

"I'm having chips for lunch without salt and vinegar, but watching Joyce's wicket fall has made me pull an acidic face like Esther Rantzen, with my gums pulled back from over my teeth."
Damian Le Bas, Covent Garden, in the TMS inbox

Wicket falls
2nd over: WICKET - Joyce b Rankin 1, Eng 6-1
Joyce is out! Shouldering arms to the burly Rankin and losing his off-stump. Whoops-a-daisy, Martin Hayesy. Not sure what Joyce was thinking there, that hasn't just shaved his off-stick, that's almost snapped the blighter in half. Bell is next up the ramp and he's squared-up by a good length delivery from Rankin. A handful, Rankin, but Bell survives the over.

"Someone said this game was a potential 'banana skin' for England. When half your family are Irish and you are visiting them over Easter, it is much more significant than that. Personally, I would class it as England's most important Super 8 contest."
Andrew Heath in the TMS inbox

"I'm eagerly awaiting the match to start sat here in my office, but I must say I am amazed to hear you are still in London and the BBC have not sent you to the Caribbean. This is a farce, a farce I say!"
Andrew Brook in the TMS inbox

1st over: Umpire Doctrove, looking like the Man from Del Monte in his Panama hat, signals the start of play and Langford-Smith gets one past an airy drive by Joyce first up. It was, however, a no-ball. Joyce is off the mark with a thick outside edge down to third-man. Crackerjack stroke from Vaughan, timing the ball through mid-wicket for four. Six from the opening over, a comfortable one for England.

1429 BST: Players are out and battle is about to commence. Langford-Smith to have first go with the pill.

1428 BST: Vaughany needs a few runs today to keep the wolves from the door. No question of him being dropped, of course, but it's becoming clearer and clearer that he's not in the team for his runs at the moment.

1418 BST: Mixed loyalties today for Ed Joyce - a native of County Wicklow but opening up for England. I was reading The Sun yesterday, and his old man said he wanted Ireland to win. Fair enough. I was in an Irish pub last night and a man who has never lived in Ireland in his life spent most of the night putting me in a headlock and singing the Fields of Athenry very noisily in my ear. Eejit.

1415 BST: As I made my way to work this morning, I got the feeling that the mucking about was over and the serious business was about to start. Then I saw a woman at London Bridge station flogging papers with teabags on her eyes and I realised the Cricket World Cup doesn't really matter that much.

Ireland: J P Bray, W T S Porterfield, E J G Morgan N J O'Brien (Wkt), K J O'Brien, A C Botha, D T Johnston (Capt) W K McCallan, A R White, D Langford-Smith, W B Rankin.

England: M P Vaughan (Capt), E C Joyce, I R Bell, K P Pietersen, P D Collingwood, A Flintoff, R S Bopara, P A Nixon (Wkt), S I Mahmood, J M Anderson, M S Panesar.

1404 BST: Hello everybody. England skipper Michael Vaughan has won the toss and England are going to have a bat. Ireland have made two changes - Trent Johnston is back from shoulder trouble and replaces John Mooney, while Dave Langford-Smith was also passed fit following back spasms. England are unchanged from the side that beat Kenya.