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Jordan Cox has been short on luck in his brief international career. A broken thumb denied him a Test debut against New Zealand last winter; an abdominal injury forced him out of the squad to face Zimbabwe at the start of this summer. And after England bowled first in the final Twenty20 international against Ireland, he jarred a knee while taking a catch in the deep, forcing him off the field and bringing into question what role he would play in the chase.
But a grimacing knock was also a welcome one: Cox struck his first international half-century in a successful chase of 155, securing England a comfy six-wicket victory and a 2-0 series win. As he came in at 33 for two, this was a useful test for the 24-year-old in an experimental middle order. Tom Banton showed calm, too, putting on 49 with Cox and remaining unbeaten on 36.
Rain got in the way of the second T20 but Malahide found some sun in the early afternoon, with England making two changes: in came Cox and Sonny Baker, making his second white-ball bow this month. The first had been ruined by Aiden Markram’s bat as Baker conceded 76 from his seven overs, the worst figures by an England debutant in one-day internationals.
Ross Adair’s record is some way off Markram’s, but the 31-year-old quirky method – a high backlift set up for cross-bat bludgeons – enjoyed Baker’s opening spell. The quick took the first over of the match and conceded eight, but his second went for twice as many as Adair lofted the ball over the off-side ring, Baker unable to lock down a safe length.
Jacob Bethell needed spin to break through and Liam Dawson took two deliveries to find Paul Stirling’s edge, while Rehan Ahmed had Adair sweeping to deep midwicket, gone for 33 off 23. Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker combined for 123 in the opening T20 but there was no stability in the middle order this time. Jamie Overton’s short ball prompted a couple of miscues, while Ireland failed to decode Adil Rashid’s googly.
Baker returned with Ireland 114 for seven, four overs to come, a handy opportunity to secure that first international wicket. But the game refused to oblige: Gareth Delany picked a slower ball to drive through the covers for four and back-to-back sixes behind square leg followed, Baker’s threat reduced whenever he dropped short. Bethell entrusted him with the final over of the innings but Delany launched straight twice to lift Ireland beyond 150. Brighter days will hopefully follow but the shift from domestic cricket has been brutal.
Passing showers delayed the restart before Jos Buttler and Phil Salt got ready to thump, having amassed rapid stands of 126 and 74 in their two previous games. Yet Buttler fell for none to a ludicrous diving catch by Curtis Campher at short cover, the all-rounder flying down to his right for the one-hander in the second over of the chase.
Cox, who had injured himself at deep square leg when holding on for Rashid’s third wicket, settled quickly after Bethell departed at the start of the fifth over, middling a couple of imperious pulls and moving to 20 off eight deliveries. But he looked in serious pain when jogging down the pitch for a single to close the powerplay with England 57 for two, his hand on the troublesome knee.
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Salt swapped his usual hyperaggression for a more measured approach at the other end, and while he edged behind off Campher for a 23-ball 29, England’s required rate was below six as they entered the final 10 overs.
Ben White’s leg-spin was expensive – he conceded 40 off his four – though he did sneak the ball through Cox who finished on 55 off 35. The right-hander had long decided the game’s direction.
