Summary

  • England cruise to victory despite late loss of wickets

  • Salt, reprieved by no-ball on 51 off 22, clobbers 89 off 46

  • Buttler crashes 28 off 10 as England get off to flier

  • Ireland's 196-3 their highest T20 score against England

  • Tector and Tucker (55) share 123-run stand for third wicket

  • England go 1-0 up in three-game series; next match on Friday

Live Reporting

by Matthew Henry, Jonty Colman, Sam Drury & Esha Nayar

  1. Eng 167-3

    Need 30 runs from 30 balls

    On small grounds like these the sensible thing to do surely is to leave your car at home? Not worth the risk with Phil Salt in town.

    If you do so for the second match on Friday, I'll have very little sympathy.

  2. Michael McNamee
    BBC Test Match Special

    That's a brilliant shot by Sam Curran, well past the hospitality tent. It's probably hit someone's car!

  3. 6 runs

    Eng 164-3

    Thumped over long-on by Sam Curran!

    That one has cleared the hospitality tent too. Back to the briefcase the umpires go.

  4. Ed Joyce
    Ex-Ireland and England batter

    Sam CurranReuters

    England still need seven an over but these days, seven an over is nothing. Ireland need to take some wickets or England need to do something absurd here.

  5. Eng 155-3

    Need 42 runs to win from 36 balls

    Another drilled pull shot by Phil Salt takes him to 85 from 41 balls. He really does look set to score consecutive T20 hundreds for the second time in his career.

  6. Ed Joyce
    Ex-Ireland and England batter

    That was a good piece of running from these England batters.

  7. Not out

    He's fine. Settle down, Matthew.

    Ireland go back to searching for water turning into wine or the parting of seas.

  8. Umpire review

    A miracle or Phil Salt running himself out?

  9. Michael McNamee
    BBC Test Match Special

    Ireland effectively need a miracle here.

  10. Eng 147-3

    Need 50 runs from 42 balls

    It may well be too late but the squeeze is just on a little here. That good previous over is followed by another from Gareth Delany without a boundary.

  11. Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport chief cricket reporter in Malahide

    SaltGetty Images

    Ireland will want to be bowling as many deliveries as possible at anyone who isn't Phil Salt.

  12. Eng 141-3

    Need 56 runs from 48 balls

    Ireland, to their credit, do not look a beaten side. Curtis Campher pulls off a diving stop on that S-shaped mid-wicket boundary to deny Phil Salt a four.

    Four from that over, which is a win for the hosts.

  13. Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport chief cricket reporter in Malahide

    SaltPA Media

    England really have broken the back of what could've been a really tricky chase. They weren't really on it with the ball, a lot of loose deliveries.

  14. 6 runs

    Eng 137-3

    Need 60 more runs from 54 balls

    I was just about to praise the over of Gareth Delany which had cost only one up until the final delivery.

    Needing to finish it off, Delany drops short and Salt thwacks it over deep square leg for six.

  15. England send in Sam Curran.

    They need 67 runs from 57 balls.

  16. Ed Joyce
    Ex-Ireland and England batter

    That's a good first three balls from Gareth Delany's over. Positive signs for Ireland.

  17. Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport chief cricket reporter in Malahide

    Two balls after being reprieved, Rehan Ahmed has played a wild hack. You have to say that that's a bit of a waste from him.

  18. wicket

    WICKET

    Ahmed b Delany 8 (Eng 130-3)

    This one is out though.

    Rehan Ahmed goes charging down the pitch, misses as a leggie from Gareth Delany keeps a little low and is bowled.

  19. Ed Joyce
    Ex-Ireland and England batter

    That's such a shame because Graham Hume put in so much effort to get there.

  20. Not out

    The third umpire says it has touched the ground.

    Hume doesn't look too disgruntled. He was never fully confident and Rehan Ahmed survives.