England captain Ben Stokes has played down fears over his fitness before the Ashes after his team wrapped up a Test victory over Ireland by 10 wickets inside three days without him batting or bowling.
Stokes declared with England on 4-524 for four on day two at Lord’s to ensure he was not required with the bat and after struggling with his left knee since it flared up during the New Zealand series in February, he did not bowl on the first day or day three of this one-off Test either.
He had not made any contribution to the scorecard until he caught Curtis Campher off Joe Root during Saturday’s morning session, but the grimace on his face and subsequent hobble to join his team-mates in celebration sent alarm bells ringing ahead of the Ashes opener on June 16.
But Stokes revealed: “I bowled this morning (in the nets) for the first time in four weeks and I felt really good. I was real happy with how I bowled.
“I bowled for about 20 minutes and I got through that really well. Obviously I have got time to build up before I push back into flat out but I just landed quite awkwardly when I took that catch.
“I didn’t quite see it so had to adjust myself and landed on my left leg. It twisted in a really strange way but it was fine, I just don’t know what really happened.
“It was one of those things, but I am 32 tomorrow so that probably explains it.”
While Stokes was in a jovial mood after England clinched a 10-wicket victory over Ireland with a day to spare, it had been a frustrating first two sessions on day three.
Harry Tector (51) and Lorcan Tucker (44) combined to help Ireland add 118 runs for the loss of only three wickets before lunch and the run rate increased to ensure the tourists eventually impressively avoided an innings defeat.
Tail-enders Mark Adair and Andy McBrine joined forces to produce a record 163-run partnership for Ireland in Test cricket but the duo could not pass three figures.
Adair was bounced out for 88 and McBrine left stranded unbeaten on 86 when Graham Hume was bowled to leave Ireland on 9-362 for nine but with opener James McCollum unable to bat following his twisted ankle on Friday.
“No, we won the game so, yeah, never hard to be disappointed with winning a game,” Stokes insisted when quizzed on if Ireland’s fightback took the shine off an 11th victory in 13 Tests since Brendon McCullum took over.
“The game could have ended up finishing a lot earlier than what it did but they showed some really good grit and determination so fair play to them.”
England have named an unchanged 16-man squad for the first two Ashes Tests of the summer with Josh Tongue’s fine debut against Ireland enough to keep his spot in the group.
Worcestershire seamer Tongue was a late addition to England’s squad for this week’s one-off Test with Ireland due to injury concerns over James Anderson (groin) and Ollie Robinson (ankle), who both expected to be fit to face Australia at Edgbaston on June 16.
Tongue has caught the eye at Lord’s and hit 91mph in his first spell on day one before his maiden Test wickets followed on the second day.
Both captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum spoke glowingly before the four-day match about Tongue, who spent 15 months on the sidelines with a nerve problem in his shoulder before he returned to fitness in 2022 and last month dismissed Sussex’s Australia star Steve Smith.
The 25-year-old now finds himself in contention for the first two Ashes Tests alongside fellow seamers Anderson, Stuart Broad, Matthew Potts, Robinson, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood.
Jack Leach remains the only spinner in the group and Essex’s Dan Lawrence is England’s only batting cover.
England’s 16-man squad will report to Birmingham on June 12 and are due to practice at Edgbaston on June 13.
England men’s Test squad for first two Ashes Tests: Ben Stokes (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
Tongue too fast for Ireland’s liking
Debutant Josh Tongue has claimed five wickets to help England beat Ireland inside three days at Lord’s, but only after a record 163-run partnership between visiting tailenders Mark Adair and Andy McBrine.
Predictions before the third day started ranged from whether England would have victory wrapped up in this one-off Test by lunch or by the time the FA Cup final got under way at 3pm.
Instead, they lasted until after tea on Saturday before England wrapped up a 10-wicket win to give them confidence before they go into the Ashes series.
Ireland needed 255 runs to force Ben Stokes’ side to bat again and were without injured opener James McCollum, but Harry Tector (51) and Lorcan Tucker (44) ensured 118 runs were scored in the morning session for the loss of only three wickets.
Adair and McBrine then upped the ante after lunch, launching astonishing attacks on Stuart Broad and Jack Leach before Matthew Potts bounced out number nine Adair for a 76-ball 88 that included 12 fours and two sixes.
Tongue continued his fine debut by picking up his fifth scalp, that of Fionn Hand, before McBrine helped Ireland make it to tea in the lead, only to be stranded on 86 not out when last man Graham Hume was bowled by Broad to leave the tourists all out for a gallant 362.
It gave England a victory target of 11 and Zak Crawley needed only four balls to secure a 10-wicket success to make it 11 wins in 13 Tests in the ‘Bazball’ era under Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
Yet the sternest examination of their aggressive brand of cricket will start on June 16 when the Ashes get under way.
Huge scores in quick time from Ben Duckett (182) and Ollie Pope (205) in England’s 4-524 declared raised the possibility a result may occur inside two days, but Ireland made it to the close on Friday evening on 3-97 bfore their rearguard action on the third day.
Resuming on 3-97, Tector got Ireland off to a strong start, scoring his 51 off 98 balls before holing out to point for debutant Tongue’s fourth wicket of the innings.
Tucker and Curtis Campher also departed before lunch to leave Ireland reeling, a third successive innings defeat seemingly inevitable after two heavy losses to Sri Lanka in April.
But McBrine and Adair scored 163 off 165 balls for the seventh wicket — the highest-ever Test partnership for Ireland.
Matthew Potts broke the stand when Adair, on 88, got the slightest of touches on a delivery as it flew through to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.
McBrine battled on, dragging Ireland over the line to force the hosts to bat again, albeit briefly.
Ashes countdown: Days to go …
12
The number of runs that proved the difference as England won the 1998 Ashes Test in Melbourne. Dean Headley produced the finest spell of his career in taking 6-60 as Australia collapsed in pursuit of the target of 175.
On This Day …
June 4 – some guy called Shane Warne bowled a delivery that dismissed England’s Mike Gatting in an Ashes Test in 1993. It was a pretty good delivery. If you’ve never heard of it, do you even cricket?
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