Sam Billings and David Willey provide reminder of quality as England beat Ireland by six wickets in first ODI

Sam Billings and David Willey starred in England's six-wicket ODI win over Ireland in Southampton
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Will Macpherson30 July 2020

This series, according to Eoin Morgan, is the first step as England plot their four-year path to the 2023 World Cup.

Morgan’s match-winners in the first game were also men who debuted at the start of the four-year journey to the 2019 World Cup, but did not quite make it to the tournament itself, for different reasons.

This was a timely reminder from David Willey and Sam Billings that they still have much to offer, despite not possessing the World Cup winners' medal that seven of their team-mates in this game do.

Willey was the unfortunate bowler left out for Jofra Archer and had not played for England since May 2019, while a serious shoulder injury prevented Billings competing for the place vacated by Alex Hales.

Willey set up the six-wicket win with career-best figures of five for 30 that limited Ireland to 172, and Billings – with 67 from 54 balls, his highest score for England – finished it off after a top-order wobble in the powerplay.

Billings was only selected in this game, his first ODI for two years, because Joe Denly pulled up with a sore back. Only the performance of Curtis Campher, a 21-year-old South African-born all-rounder, gave England as much to chase as 173.

He made an unbeaten 59, the highest score by an Irish debutant since 2006, when a young Morgan made 99 on day one of his first international iteration. Ireland had selected boldly in Andy Balbirnie’s first ODI as captain, leaving out his predecessor William Porterfield and the veteran quick Boyd Rankin.

The decision to back Campher was already an inspired one by the time his brisk seamers accounted for Tom Banton in England’s shaky chase of 173. Two years ago, Campher – playing then for South Africa – had dismissed Banton in an Under-19 ODI.

Campher came to the wicket, at no7, after a disastrous Ireland start. Willey dismissed Paul Stirling, caught at midwicket, in his first over, then Balbirnie, caught behind, in his second.

Willey claimed a maiden five-wicket haul on his first appearance for England since May 2019
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By the time Gareth Delany and Lorcan Tucker fell in successive balls in his fourth over, Saqib Mahmood had dismissed debutant Harry Tector too, and Ireland were 28 for five. Delany had whacked 20 of those runs in boundaries.

Campher shared two significant partnerships with senior colleagues that gave Ireland something to bowl at, but that good work was undone in an over of madness from Ireland.

With Adil Rashid well into a tight 10-over spell that included three maidens, Kevin O’Brien tried to release the pressure with his first big shot. Alas he could only pick out mid-off, where Willey took the catch. Four balls later, the scoreless Simi Singh ran himself out by half a pitch.

Ireland were 79 for seven and in deep trouble. Campher was unperturbed, and formed a partnership of 66 with Andy McBrine. They accumulated gently against the spinners but, just as McBrine looked to be going through the gears, he picked out deep square-leg off Tom Curran.

Barry McCarthy fell in the same fashion to Mahmood, who bowled with real pace, a few overs later. Campher was left stranded on 59 as the tail failed to stick around for him, with Craig Young slogging Willey to mid-off.

A target of 173 should not have posed too much of a problem for England, but they lost their top three in an eventful powerplay. McCarthy pulled up injured after five balls of his first over, leaving Stirling to complete it.

Billings then steered England to a six-wicket victory with his highest international score of 67
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McBrine replaced him, meaning four different bowlers had served up the first 13 balls of the innings. The variation worked, though, as McBrine struck with his fourth ball, removing Jonny Bairstow lbw on review. Jason Roy and James Vince both flashed elegant boundaries but fell to Young.

Roy was plumb lbw, while Vince – typically – was caught behind looking to add a lavish drive to his list of handsome boundaries. We have seen that before.

When Campher bounced Banton out, Morgan finally appeared at no6, to join Billings. By then, the Kent captain had already played two sublime pulls, and it was right that he reached his third ODI half-century, from 41 balls, with that shot. He reverse-swept and cover-drove beautifully, too.

It was Morgan who finished the job, launching Singh down the ground for his second six. Thanks to Willey and Billings, his team had enjoyed a satisfying afternoon out.

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