England vs Ireland – Test Match Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is England vs Ireland taking place? Wednesday, 24th July, 11:00
Where England vs Ireland taking place? Lord’s, London
What is the expected weather for England vs Ireland? Temperatures as high as 33-35c expected in the first couple of days but no rain forecast
What channel is England vs Ireland on? The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Cricket
Where can I stream England vs Ireland? England vs Ireland will be streamed live on the Sky Go app
Where can I get tickets for England vs Ireland? Tickets are still available for purchase here!
LAST MEETING
N/A
THE TEAM NEWS
ENGLAND
- England come into this one-off Test match viewing this match as a preparation game ahead of the Ashes but it does offer a golden chance to some fringe players and debutants to impress and potentially challenge for a spot against Australia.
- Following his impressive performances with the bat in the World Cup, Surrey’s Jason Roy has received his first call-up to the Test team with an opening spot alongside Rory Burns up for grabs and this is a chance for him to stake his claims to face Australia.
- Somerset all-rounder Lewis Gregory is also named in the squad for the first time while the likes of Joe Denly, Jack Leach and Olly Stone are also set to be handed an opportunity as key men Stokes and Buttler are rested and Wood and Archer miss out through injury.
IRELAND
- While this may be viewed as a warm-up match for England, their opponents Ireland will be hugely motivated in what is just their third Test match ever, and they will be desperate to get their first win against England.
- They will look to some of their key batsmen to give them a chance of competing in this game with Middlesex’s Paul Stirling a vital member of the team while the experienced William Porterfield and Kevin O’Brien will need to be at their best.
- Pace bowlers Tim Murtagh and Boyd Rankin are key to their hopes while 19-year-old fast bowler Joshua Little will be keen to make an impact and with England fielding some fringe players, their bowling unit will see this as a golden opportunity to upset the hosts.
THE PREDICTION
Ireland will be extremely motivated to get their first ever Test win in what is just their third Test match in history and first against England. This will not be an easy task for them however as even though England are fielding something of a second string team, they still possess plenty of quality. With the likes of Root and Bairstow underpinning the England batting, the fringe players around them will be motivated to impress ahead of the Ashes. While Ireland may have their moments, England should wear them down over the four days and ultimately win.
