Ireland’s Tim Murtagh became the first Irish bowler to take five wickets in a Test match innings. (Twitter/Ireland)Ireland’s Tim Murtagh picked up 5/13 to rip through the England batting order as the World Cup winners were shot out for 85 in a dramatic morning of the only Test at Lord’s on Wednesday. It is the first time England have been bowled out before lunch at Lord’s on the opening morning and their lowest test innings at home since 1997 against Australia.
The first wicket of the summer as Roy is dismissed for five.
Scorecard/Clips: https://t.co/Mj383OvKnQ#ENGvIRE pic.twitter.com/gIT4hIh4BH
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 24, 2019
Murtagh, who plays his cricket for Middlesex, took lethal advantage of a green-tinged wicket and some bog-standard England batting to give Ireland a dream start to what is only their third test and first at Lord’s.
When Stuart Broad walked out with the hosts teetering on 43 for seven England had lost six wickets for seven runs with test debutant Mark Adair also helping himself to two wickets.
Incidentally, Murtagh became the first Irish bowler to take five wickets in a Test match innings. He has taken 383 wickets at Lord’s. Since 2000, no bowler has more wickets at a single venue.
The 37-year-old pitched an astonishing 69 percent of his deliveries on a good line and length. The average for a fast bowler in Test cricket is 34 percent which shows the supreme accuracy from the Middlesex seamer.
Ireland bowlers have pitched 82 percent of their deliveries today on a good length which is the second-highest figure in the first 15 overs of a Test innings in England since the start of 2018.
Earlier, England won the toss and chose to bat first in their four-day test match.
The match is a warmup for skipper Joe Root’s men ahead of the Ashes series which starts next week at Edgbaston, while for Ireland it is their first test match against England.
Teams:
England – Jason Roy, Rory Burns, Joe Denly, Joe Root (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, Olly Stone
Ireland – Will Porterfield (captain), Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie, James McCollum, Kevin O’Brien, Gary Wilson, Mark Adair, Andy McBrine, Stuart Thompson, Boyd Rankin, Tim Murtagh
