By:
Conor Martin
Ireland have posted a seriously impressive 196-3 from their 20 overs as they look to go 1-0 up in their three-match T20 international (T20I) series against England.
Ireland have their openers to thank for helping them get off to a good start. Captain Paul Stirling led the way with 34 off 22 balls before he was caught by Will Jacks on the boundary. The second Irish wicket to go after Ross Adair was caught by Phil Salt off the bowling of Liam Dawson.
█▓▒▒░░░SCORE UPDATE░░▒▒▓█
We've reached the halfway stage here at Malahide.
Ireland 196-3 (20 overs)
WATCH (Ireland/UK): TNT 1 (410)
SCORE: https://t.co/cMkGA12bcO#BackingGreen #TokenFi pic.twitter.com/ITpfGQcKmG— Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) September 17, 2025
Solid batting showing from the hosts in the first Ireland v England T20I
Ireland then built the foundations of their innings thanks to a strong middle-order display. Lorcan Tucker smashed 55 off 36 balls, which included four sixes and three fours. He too was caught out on the fifth ball of the final over, gloving behind into the hands of Jos Buttler.
https://twitter.com/cricketireland/status/1968312170321731722
Tucker and his team-mate would put on a partnership of 123 with Harry Tector, who remained unbeaten on 61* and scored 50 from 31 balls. They anchored the innings and accelerated in the later overs as Ireland made light work of a below-par England display.
https://twitter.com/cricketireland/status/1968316542212317469
With the pitch being slow, bad news for England, Ireland managed decent strike rotations and found boundary options when needed. The final ball of the Irish innings saw George Dockrell launch a six off the last ball, the only ball he faced, adding a flourish to the total, setting England 197 to win.
Despite such a solid total, Ireland are still outsiders at 12/1 with Irish sports betting sites. Given the batting talent England have in their ranks, they are 1/40 to win the first T20I at Malahide.
England’s bowlers struggled for most of the home side’s innings. Surrey’s Sam Curran leaked 43 in his four overs, while Adil Rashid finished for 36-1 from his four overs of bowling.
Ireland record highest highest-ever T20I score against England
Ireland’s 196-3 is their highest score against England, but it isn’t their highest; their 196-3 scored on Wednesday still trails their highest-ever T20I totals, which includes their highest of 226/4 against Austria in July 2023. This is followed by their second and third highest of 225/7 v Afghanistan (2013) and 221/5 v India (2022).
Ireland showed solid consistency with the batting performance. In the past, Ireland have had spells where they lose early wickets and collapse or fail to build momentum. Here, the base was solid and gives them a great chance of pulling off a shock win against England.
Finishing power and the ability to put on big numbers in the last 5 overs or so, turning a par score into a challenging one, has also helped them massively. Past matches have sometimes seen Ireland making 150‑170 and then petering out. 196 is convincingly competitive, and England must be at their very best in their innings if they’re to chase that down.
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