England romp past Ireland as Sam Billings and David Willey give selectors food for thought

SAM MORSHEAD AT THE AGEAS BOWL: Willey with the ball, and then Billings with the bat, proved to be the matchwinners for the hosts, who took command of the contest early on and rarely looked like throwing the advantage away

Scorecard

Sam Morshead: Willey's smile is back as World Cup heartbreak recovery begins

Ratings

Ageas Bowl: Ireland 172, England 174-4 - England won by six wickets

England’s fringe players made the most of the absence of senior stars to lead their side to a comfortable victory over Ireland in the first behind-closed-doors one-day international at the Ageas Bowl.

David Willey with the ball, and then Sam Billings with the bat, proved to be the matchwinners for the hosts, who took command of the contest early on and rarely looked like throwing the advantage away.

Willey - returning to the ODI team for the first time since being dropped for Jofra Archer on the eve of the World Cup - took four wickets in his first 21 deliveries and finished with his first five-wicket haul in the format as the Irish grunted and groaned their way to 172 in just under 45 overs.

In response, England’s top-order looked nearly as clumsy as their guests’ but Billings - coming in at No.5 - steadied the ship with an unbeaten half-century.

The Kent captain, who at two years had spent even longer out of the national 50-over side than Willey, timed the ball beautifully, predominantly through the legside, on his way to a third fifty in the format.

He shared in a partnership worth 97 for the fifth wicket with Eoin Morgan to take England from a brief moment of fragility at 77 for 4 to victory with 22 overs and a ball to spare.

For Ireland, it was a disappointing afternoon. After two weeks of preparation in the Southampton bubble, their top-order burst with the gentlest prod.

^{David Willey claimed five wickets for England}

Paul Stirling miscued a tame catch to midwicket off Willey, before the same bowler had visiting captain Andrew Balbirnie caught behind leaning into a drive.

Harry Tector chopped on to Saqib Mahmood, Gareth Delany found Tom Banton at backward point off Willey, and the Yorkshire allrounder trapped Lorcan Tucker lbw on review.

At 28 for 5, there was a concern that the game would be all over far too quickly, but a resilient half-century from Curtis Campher on debut at least dragged Ireland to something close to respectability.

Ultimately, though, their 172 was terribly short on a pitch that offered turn, but in conditions that did little for the seamers.

The second half of the match was over as a contest, and as a spectacle, once Billings buckled himself in and discovered that batting really was considerably easier than his teammates and their opponents had otherwise suggested.

He watched Jonny Bairstow trapped lbw by the spin of Andy McBrine for 2, while Jason Roy followed in similar circumstances, albeit by the seam of Craig Young.

James Vince produced an aesthetically delightful 25 before nicking off, while Tom Banton never found his groove and his laboured 11 from 24 balls was ended by a huge top edge to keeper Tucker off Campher.

Once skipper Morgan was by his side, though, Billings showed the repertoire necessary to blunt Irish hopes and ensure that this match, as a spectacle, was as sadly empty as the stands which encircled it.

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