England’s women’s cricket team delivered a resounding performance, securing a record-breaking 275-run victory over Ireland in the second One Day International (ODI) in Belfast. This dominant win propelled England to a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The foundation for England’s triumph was laid by experienced opener Tammy Beaumont, who smashed an unbeaten century, her 10th at this level, guiding England to a formidable total of 320-8 in their 50 overs.
Ireland, a fledgling team, found themselves completely outmatched. They were bowled out inside 17 overs, their innings collapsing to a meager 45 runs. England’s captain, Kate Cross, and her new-ball partner, Lauren Filer, wreaked havoc, claiming 3-8 and 3-10 respectively. Una Raymond-Hoey’s 22 was the only double-figure score for Ireland, highlighting the disparity in performance between the two sides.
Despite fielding a mainly second-string team, with the majority of their T20 World Cup squad absent, England’s dominance was evident. “Cricket is a sport of ups and downs, and today was definitely a down day,” acknowledged Ireland captain Gaby Lewis, one of three home batters dismissed for a duck. “We are a very young squad, we’re learning on the go. We’ve got three bowlers under the age of 19, it’s very hard on them,” she added.
However, Beaumont, the star of the day, admitted that the Irish bowlers had initially presented a challenge. “I found it tough early on and Ireland were bowling tight lines with a slower pace on the pitch,” she shared.
England’s record-breaking victory serves as a testament to their strength and experience, while Ireland will need to draw valuable lessons from this challenging encounter to improve their performance in the upcoming third ODI.
