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Salt blitz powers England past Ireland in Malahide

Phil Salt continued his impressive form with another blazing knock, helping England defeat Ireland by four wickets in the first T20I in Malahide. Chasing 197, England reached the target with 14 balls to spare, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. This victory marked England's first win against a European nation in six T20Is.

England's intent was clear from the start. Salt and Jos Buttler hammered 74 runs in just 4.3 overs, dismantling Ireland's new-ball attack. Buttler scored 28 off 10 balls before falling, but Salt continued his onslaught, hitting ten fours and four sixes. His clean striking left Ireland searching for answers as the required rate dropped rapidly.

Sam Curran contributed a brisk 27 off 15 balls, and Jacob Bethell, on captaincy debut, added 24 off 16, keeping the chase in control. While Ireland managed to take a few wickets in the middle, including Salt falling short of a century, the game was effectively won by then. Jamie Overton finished the chase with a six and a four, taking England home in the 18th over.

Earlier, England handed the captaincy to 21-year-old Bethell, making him the youngest men's T20I skipper for his country. He won the toss and chose to field. Ireland posted a competitive 196/3, built around Harry Tector's unbeaten 61 off 36 balls and Lorcan Tucker's explosive 55 off 36 deliveries. The pair added 123 runs for the fourth wicket after Ireland slipped to 67/2.

Ireland's innings started strongly with Paul Stirling and Ross Adair putting on 57 runs for the opening wicket. However, both fell quickly. Tucker and Tector then took charge, maintaining a high tempo with a variety of shots. They stayed together until the penultimate ball, propelling Ireland to a good total on a batting-friendly surface. Salt's brilliance ultimately made light work of the chase.

Brief scores:

Ireland 196/3 in 20 overs (Harry Tector 61*, Lorcan Tucker 55; Adil Rashid 1-36) lost to England 197/6 in 17.4 overs (Philip Salt 89, Jos Buttler 28; Graham Hume 2-36) by 4 wickets.