Jack Leach hits 92 before England collapse again against Ireland
Thursday 25 July 2019 20:08, UK
A second England batting collapse of the Test undid nightwatchman Jack Leach's fine 92 opening the batting as the hosts closed day two on 303-9, a lead of 181 over Ireland.
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England lost seven wickets for 77 runs either side of tea on Thursday, following a 145-run stand for the second wicket between Leach, who fell eight agonising runs short of a maiden first-class century, and Jason Roy.
England were in a healthy enough position, 49 runs ahead, when Roy fell for 72 - bowled by Stuart Thomson - triggering another batting meltdown, though Sam Curran added 37 useful runs and Stuart Broad an unbeaten 21 before thunder and lightning ended play early.
England are bidding to become the first team in the last 112 years of Test cricket to win after posting a score of 85 or lower in the first innings of the match. But after 20 wickets tumbled on day one, Leach initially made light of the sweltering second-day conditions as temperatures reached the high 30s at HQ.
Trailing by 122 at the start of play, Leach and Rory Burns survived the first half-hour, before Burns fell victim to Boyd Rankin (2-86), edging behind after a painstaking 12 from 51 balls, hardly the confidence-booster needed ahead of the Ashes.
Leach, despite a first-class average of under 11, kicked on, moving through to a third first-class fifty in 109 innings shortly before lunch. Roy, not far behind, also brought up his half-century by the interval as England levelled the scores.
It was Thompson (2-44) - Ireland's sole wicketless seamer from the first innings - who finally got the breakthrough to end the partnership, beating Roy's expansive drive on the inside edge and cleaning up his stumps.
England's innings lost its way thereafter, with five-for hero from the first innings, Tim Murtagh (1-52), first doing for Leach as he very much moved into the nervous nineties. Leach edged to Mark Adair at second slip, who dropped him three balls prior to snapping up the catch second time round.
Joe Denly made 10 before being run-out after a mix-up with skipper Joe Root, who was halfway down the pitch when he sent Denly back, and then a woefully out of touch Bairstow departed for a pair, wasting a review too after he was trapped plumb lbw by Adair (3-66).
After tea, Rankin bounced out Moeen Ali (9), in a moment of madness Root (31) charged Adair and flashed to second slip, while Chris Woakes (13) more tamely edged the seamer to the man at first.
England had slipped from 171-1 to 248-8, a lead of only 126, but some typically lusty blows off Curran's blade and a moderate return to form with the bat from Broad lifted the score late on, ensuring an enthralling third day's play.
Live coverage of the one-off Test between England and Ireland continues on Sky Sports Cricket and the Sky Sports App from 10am on Friday.
