England vs Ireland, 1st ODI
Match abandoned due to rain (no toss)
16:53 Local Time, 15:53 GMT, 21:23 IST: Unfortunately, the match has been abandoned. There were some damp areas on the pitch as well as on the outfield which were of concern and there's no wind to assist in drying those areas. The two skippers have shaken hands and so that's that from our side too. Hopefully, there will be bright sunshine to welcome us for the 2nd ODI in Nottingham. Join us on 23rd of September to catch all the action. Till then, goodbye and cheers!
16:12 Local Time, 15:12 GMT, 20:42 IST: Umpires are out in the middle having a conversation with the ground staff. We will have anything to report pretty soon. Stick around... Hang on! There will be another inspection at 4:45pm local. There are some wet areas on the outfield which are of concern. The nice thing is that there's still a lot of time remaining for a match to be contested.
15:26 Local Time, 14:26 GMT, 19:56 IST: News is coming in that there will be a further inspection at 4pm local.
14:59 Local Time, 13:59 GMT, 19:29 IST: nice news, folks! The rain has now stopped and that is looking very brighter at Headingley. The covers have been peeled off as well. The inspection is meant to happen in about 20 minutes...
14:27 Local Time, 13:27 GMT, 18:57 IST: Unfortunately, the rain is back folks! We were getting hopeful but that has arrived again to dampen our spirits. But, let's keep our fingers crossed...
13:50 Local Time, 12:50 GMT, 18:20 IST: The rain has eased at Leeds for the time being. that was quite a heavy downpour and getting the outfield dry could be a task. Groundstaff are doing their best, let's egg them on...
13:03 Local Time, 12:03 GMT, 17:33 IST: that is now pouring down at Leeds. We'll be here for a whereas before we get any cricket. The cut-off for a 20-over game is 5:32 PM Local time (9:32 IST). Plenty of time, nothing to worry as of now
12:39 Local Time, 11:39 GMT, 17:09 IST: Still raining out here, we have to keep waiting...
12:04 Local Time, 11:04 GMT, 16:34 IST: The cloudy afternoon has turned in a rainy afternoon in Leeds. The toss is going to be delayed for this one...
11:49 Local Time, 10:49 GMT, 16:19 IST: A cloudy afternoon in Leeds greets us for the begin of this three match series, which will be England's final preparation before they head to India to defend their World Cup crown. A very changed English side is on offer today, with most of the regulars rested to manage workloads. Joe Root is the only common name between this squad and the ones that take the flight to India, but nevertheless this is a nice scope to check out the reserve strength of the world champions. For Ireland, any games against the best teams in the world is a nice way to test their cricketing prowess. A fairly similar Irish squad to the one that played against India, let's see how they get along in this series…
Squads:
Ireland Squad: Paul Stirling(c), Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker(w), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Craig Young, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Joshua Little, Neil Rock, Graham Hume, Andy McBrine, Theo van Woerkom
England Squad: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley(c), Joe Root, Philip Salt, Jamie Smith(w), Rehan Ahmed, Will Jacks, Luke Wood, Brydon Carse, Tom Hartley, George Scrimshaw, Matthew Potts, Sam Hain
