After a spirited start to their huge run chase Ireland began to fall away as Graeme Swann three wickets during a teasing spell to put England on track for a comfortable victory. James Anderson gained a confidence-boosting wicket with the first ball of the innings, but Paul Stirling play some meaty shots in an entertaining innings until Tim Bresnan struck then Swann made his mark as the asking rate climbed.
After two poor matches Anderson made the perfect start when William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, dragged the opening delivery into his stumps. However, the batsmen knew there was no point prodding around and Stirling hooked his fifth ball from Stuart Broad for six. Broad was taken for three more boundaries by Stirling, as his open three-over spell cost 24, and he also talked Andrew Strauss into wasting a review when an lbw shout against Ed Joyce clear pitched outside leg stump. Strauss rung the changes in the first 10 overs, including an early over for Michael Yardy, but it was the reliable Bresnan who broke a threatening stand of 62 when Stirling tried to launch another shot over the leg side and picked out Kevin Pietersen. Bresnan should have had a second when Joyce, on 21, top edged a pull but Matt Prior spilled a simple chance one ball after another chance had brushed Anderson's finger tips as he dived forward at midwicket.
Bresnan's first four overs cost 15 but he strayed in his fifth as Niall O'Brien collected two boundaries to keep Ireland in touch with the run rate. However, at the other end they were finding it tougher to score off Swann and the pressure could have told with a wicket but Anderson allowed O'Brien's lofted drive to burst through his hands for six.
Paul Collingwood was introduced as England's other pace-off option and his cutters were tricky to force away with O'Brien resorting to a variety of sweeps and paddles to try and score. He was clearly conscious of the rising run rate and heaved across the line at Swann without making contact. Collingwood grassed a tough return chance offered by Gary Wilson, but it wasn't long before the next wicket as Swann spun a beauty past the advancing Joyce to end Ireland's slim chance and Wilson became Swann's third when he missed a sweep.
50 overs England 327 for 8 (Trott 92, Bell 81, Pietersen 59, Mooney 4-63) v Ireland
Led by Jonathan Trott's 92, England's top order continued its productive form as they posted a hefty 327 for 8 against Ireland in Bangalore. Trott, who equalled the record for reaching 1000 ODI runs in fewest innings by matching the 21 taken by Viv Richards and Kevin Pietersen, added 167 for the third wicket with Ian Bell as the Irish attack struggled to stem the scoring rate on a flat surface although late wickets restricted the onslaught.
Andrew Strauss and Pietersen laid a strong platform by adding 91 for the first wicket although both played poor shots when much bigger scores were on offer. Pietersen's reverse sweep off Paul Stirling was especially disappointing after a brisk 59 but Trott isn't a man to forgo such run-scoring opportunities so wastefully. The third-wicket stand finished as England's third best in World Cups, nestled behind the Strauss-Bell alliance from three days ago, and Trott was set for his fourth ODI hundred until missing a booming drive against John Mooney who ended with four wickets.
For the first time in the tournament England needed to set a target after Strauss decided to bat first and Pietersen made his intent clear with three early boundaries off Boyd Rankin. Strauss had a nervous moment as a top edge looped over George Dockrell at fine leg for six, but having hit such heights against India with his 158 it wasn't surprising that his early strokeplay lacked the clarity of that innings. However, with Pietersen in such commanding touch it was the captain's turn to let someone else lead the way.
Ireland were hampered by the absence of the steady Andre Botha who took 3 for 32 against Bangladesh and struggled to maintain control. In the build-up to the match William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, hinted he may open the bowling with Dockrell's left-arm spin but it wasn't until the 12th over that the 18-year-old appeared. Pietersen was quickly down the pitch and flicked him through midwicket to bring up fifty from 40 balls and it was all very easy for England.
Perhaps it was too easy, because both openers played needless shots when there was a chance of copious boot-filling. Strauss walked across his stumps to try and manufacture a shot through fine leg and Pietersen, having crunched another six over midwicket off Mooney, top-edged a reverse sweep in Stirling's first over who became an unexpected weapon with his offspin.
Pietersen has never been a batsman to shine when opposition or conditions haven't tested him but he'd thrown away the ideal chance for his first ODI century since 2008. England, though, continued to move along at a healthy rate as Trott started brightly. He slotted consecutive boundaries off Mooney then started to work the ball around neatly as he settled alongside Bell.
Ireland nearly separated them by a run out when Trott was late to react to Bell's call for a second to deep square and if the throw had gone straight to the bowler's end, rather than the keeper first, Trott would have been found short. But it was their only alarm as they milked an unthreatening attack where batsman error was the main form of dismissal.
Stirling did a good job in controlling the run rate but Bell cut loose when he skipped down the pitch and lofted Dockrell over long off. Trott, meanwhile, moved along in typically unobtrusive style and went to his fifty off 55 balls. When he reached 64 he notched 1000 ODI runs and joined the exclusive club alongside Richards and Pietersen. Bell's was a lovely, easy, innings as he built with smart placement and deft touches to tick off his fifty from 61 balls. The batting Powerplay, which derailed England's chase against India, was taken at the start of the 38th over and this time it proved more profitable with 45 runs coming, but were also aided by some loose deliveries with both Alex Cusack and Dockrell spearing five wides down the leg side.
Dockrell didn't quite live up to the hype with his 10 overs costing 68 and coupled with another expensive display from Rankin it made for a tough day, while some fumbling ground fielding didn't help Ireland's cause. Bell fell to the final ball of the fielding restrictions when he was well caught at midwicket off Mooney, who continued to do a valuable job for his team by removing Trott.
The innings didn't quite finish in the convincing manner that England would have wanted as Matt Prior was bowled by Johnston's slower ball and Paul Collingwood picked out long-on three balls after clearing the same man. Johnston became the first Ireland bowler to take 50 ODI wickets when another slower delivery did for Michael Yardy and the final five overs only brought 33 runs. But while 338 wasn't enough for India three days ago England will expect to defend this with room to spare.
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