By Tim Douglas 
Salt leads the charge in Dublin
England opened their T20I series against Ireland in style, hunting down 197 in just 17.4 overs to claim a four-wicket win at Malahide. Once again it was Phil Salt who lit up proceedings, smashing 89 off 46 balls to put England firmly in control.
The victory also marked a special day for Jacob Bethell, who became England’s youngest T20I captain at 21 years old. His leadership debut was capped by a straightforward win, though Ireland’s batters had initially threatened to spoil the party.
Ireland set the tone with record stand
Winning the toss, England opted to field, but Paul Stirling’s quickfire 34 gave the hosts a flying start. After his dismissal, Harry Tector (61 off 36)* and Lorcan Tucker (55 off 36) took charge.
Their 123-run partnership for the third wicket was Ireland’s highest against England in this format and showcased clean hitting against spin and pace alike. The final overs produced fireworks, with George Dockrell’s last-ball six pushing Ireland to 196/3 in 20 overs, their second-highest total at Malahide.
Salt dominates the chase
England’s reply was blistering from the outset. Jos Buttler (28 off 10) pummeled Graham Hume for 22 in an over before falling, but Salt took over. He powered England past 100 inside eight overs with a mixture of precision and brute force, bringing up his half-century in 20 balls.
Although wickets fell in the middle overs—Sam Curran for 27, Salt himself slicing to deep point late on—England were always ahead of the game. Bethell chipped in with 24, while Jamie Overton finished unbeaten, sealing victory with a thumping strike down the ground.
Brief Scores
Ireland: 196/3 in 20 overs (Harry Tector 61*, Lorcan Tucker 55, Paul Stirling 34; Adil Rashid 1/36)
England: 197/6 in 17.4 overs (Phil Salt 89, Jos Buttler 28, Sam Curran 27; Matthew Humphreys 2/44, Graham Hume 2/36)
Result: England won by 4 wickets (14 balls remaining)
Player of the Match: Phil Salt (89 off 46)