Ireland Hosts England for Historic T20 Series in Malahide

Malahide, Ireland — Ireland’s cricket team is set to face England in a historic three-match T20 International series starting today. This marks the first time the men’s teams from both nations will play a bilateral T20 series.

The weather in Malahide improved after a stormy night, offering a bright backdrop for the players as they gathered for the anthems. Ireland, led by captain Paul Stirling, enters the series underprepared due to a lack of recent matches, having not played internationally since June.

“We’ve been under-prepared would be the honest answer,” Stirling said. “It’s nice to get together as a squad for the first time in about four months. We’re looking forward to getting out there and giving it a good go.”

Meanwhile, England’s captain Jacob Bethell, who recently became the youngest skipper in the team’s history at age 21, expressed his excitement for the series. “Just looking at the wicket really. It looks like there’s a bit of moisture in it, we’ve got a lot of seamers and I just want to back them really,” Bethell commented.

Despite the absence of some key players like Josh Little and Mark Adair, Ireland still fields a competitive team, with Harry Tector and Stirling expected to be their main batting threats. Conversely, England arrives with a squad featuring several rising stars, including Rehan Ahmed, who will bat at No. 4.

The matches will take place from September 17 to September 21 at The Village in Dublin. Today’s match starts at 1:30 PM. Both teams aim to prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup, making this series pivotal for their squads.