England overpowered Ireland by six wickets in the third and final T20I of the three-match series at Malahide, clinching the series 2-0. Ireland batted first and scored 154/8 in 20 overs. Gareth Delany played a quick knock but fell short of a half-century, remaining unbeaten on 48. England chased the target comfortably under clear skies, reaching the total with 17 balls to spare. Jordan Cox starred with the bat, smashing 55 off 35 balls. His partnerships of 57 with Phil Salt and 49 with Tom Banton eased any pressure on England after a shaky start.

England’s bowlers made things difficult for the Irish batters. Adil Rashid impressed with figures of 3 for 29, while Liam Dawson took 2 for 9 in just two overs. Jamie Overton also played a key role, picking up 2 for 17 from his four overs.

Spin Strategy Pays Off

The conditions in Malahide were cold and challenging, with the temperature peaking at just 13°C. Rain delayed the start by almost an hour.

England relied heavily on their spinners, a strategy they plan to use in the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Rashid and Dawson proved highly effective, sharing five wickets for just 38 runs in six overs.

Rehan Ahmed also chipped in by dismissing Ross Adair for 33. Dawson struck early, removing Paul Stirling on review and later dismissing Harry Tector. Rashid claimed crucial wickets, including debutant Ben Calitz and Barry McCarthy, reducing Ireland to 102 for seven before Delany’s late surge.

Baker’s Difficult Debut

Sonny Baker had another rough outing after his expensive ODI debut against South Africa. In this match, he conceded 52 runs in four overs. Ross Adair attacked him early, hitting him for six over mid-off, while Delany punished him later with consecutive sixes over deep backward square leg.

Delany smartly controlled the strike in the final overs, facing 25 of the last 28 balls. He hit two more fours in Baker’s last over, registering his career-best 48 not out against a Full-Member side.

Baker’s figures are now among the most expensive by an England T20I debutant. Across his first 11 overs in international cricket, he has given away 128 runs without taking a wicket.

Cox Leads the Chase

Curtis Campher gave Ireland hope early in the innings with a brilliant full-stretch catch to dismiss England skipper Jos Buttler for a second-ball duck. However, Cox’s composed batting steadied England’s chase.

Phil Salt gave England a flying start after the dismissal of Jos Buttler. He added 23 runs with Jacob Bethell for the second wicket. Bethell scored 15 runs off 11 balls. Salt then built another 57-run partnership with Jordan Cox before getting out for 29 runs off 23 balls.

Cox, who injured his knee while fielding, batted through pain. His only regret was not being at the crease to hit the winning runs. Instead, Banton finished the job, scoring the winning single and remaining unbeaten on 37.

Cox Overcomes Injury

Cox has battled a series of injuries in recent months. He had been sidelined since the Hundred final due to a rib issue and hurt his knee early in Ireland's innings while taking a catch.

Despite the pain, Cox was determined to play. "There wasn't a chance that I wasn't going to bat, because I might have had to wait another two years," Cox said.

He struck four sixes in his half-century, two of which were powerful pick-ups over backward square leg. To stay relaxed, Cox pretended he was playing for his franchise team rather than England.

"I was just like, 'Come on, this is just franchise cricket and I'm playing for the Oval, so just enjoy it and have a bit of fun.' That's what I do when I'm there. Why not try it everywhere?"

Cox is unlikely to be named in England's upcoming Ashes squad but hopes to be part of the white-ball tour to New Zealand. "I'd love to play for England, whatever that is... My goal, and what I want to achieve in my career, is [to be] in an England shirt," he added.

Brief Scorecard