Ireland vs England, Only ODI, Preview: All eyes on Jofra Archer as the Brits begin their World Cup preparations

While the Avengers fans kept waiting for the “End Game” and Game of Thrones lovers kept waiting for the battle against the dead, cricket fans all over the globe have been counting down the days for the one and only carnival, the ICC World Cup 2019. Hosts England, without a shadow of a doubt, have planted the most formidable squad among all the top contenders.

The war is just about to begin but before the battle lines for that are drawn, England will be tussling with Ireland in an ODI game in Dublin. They look a bit too strong for the Irish with the bat and ball and a run fest is expected in this contest.

Ireland always go with a very experienced lineup. Most of the players in the current XI were a part of the team that humiliated Andrew Strauss’s men back in the 2011 World Cup. William Porterfield will be hoping for his side to show some character on the field and not worry too much about the strength they possess.

Team Combinations

Ireland

Not a lot of these cricketers were in good touch when they faced Afghanistan, which makes William Porterfield’s job as a captain a little tough. They will bank on Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie to score the bulk of runs, with the experience of Gary Wilson and Kevin O’Brien coming handy. Tim Murtagh had a good season in England, picking 9 wickets in his last five games for Middlesex. Boyd Rankin and Stuart Thompson are the other bowling options for the skipper.

Predicted XI

William Porterfield (C), Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Gary Wilson, Kevin O’Brien, George Dockrell, McCarthy, Stuart Thompson, Tim Murtagh, Boyd Rankin.

England

There will be many eyes on Jofra Archer making his debut, which should release some pressure off the other debutants Ben Foakes and Dawid Malan. Vince and Denly will open the innings as Jonny Bairstow is not in the squad. Joe Root has not registered double digits in his previous three outings in ODIs, something he would love to rectify.

Predicted XI

James Vince, Joe Denly, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Dawid Malan, Ben Foakes (wk), Jofra Archer, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Liam Plunkett.

Focus will be on

Kevin O’Brien (Ireland)

Well, he has a history against the English, one which most players would envy. After registering that 50-ball hundred against them in 2011, Kevin O’Brien’s status in the fraternity changed forever and he went to achieve many more great things. He also has a Test hundred to his name right now, which he scored against a very prolific Pakistani bowling attack. His recent run has not been great, but he is very well capable of pulling out a rabbit from his hat against big sides.

Jofra Archer (England)

Jofra Archer has been waiting for this moment for such a long time and he finally got what he wanted. The English spearhead left IPL midway to accompany his new teammates and is all set to make his debut and make an impression on the selectors. Archer has been impressive everywhere he has played thus far and he is keen to continue that momentum wearing the International jersey.

Head to Head

Matches – 9 | England won – 7 | Ireland won – 1 | No result – 1

Stat Attack

26 – Gary Wilson needs 26 runs to complete 2,000 runs in ODIs.

Match Timings – 15:15 IST

Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com