England finish their international summer in Dublin on Sunday afternoon, where they could be vulnerable against a hungry home outfit.
Cricket betting tips: Ireland v England
2pts Craig Young top Ireland bowler at 7/2 (Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook)
0.5pt Ireland to beat England at 8/1 (bet365, Boylesports)
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Believe it or not, the weather forecast for Sunday’s final T20I in Dublin is pretty dry, and England will be expected to finish their international summer by securing another series victory.
Friday’s second fixture was washed out without a ball being bowled, but Ireland gave a really good account of themselves in the opening T20I at the Malahide Cricket Club on Wednesday, England having to work relatively hard for their four-wicket victory.
22 sixes were scored in that match, and I remain of the view that this is a good ground for runs, with its small dimensions and a good pitch.
Ireland worth chancing for the upset
However, I approached this series thinking that while they are by far the superior outfit, England could be vulnerable in the final match, at the end of a long summer which has featured a packed schedule.
For many in this set-up, there has been no let-up, and I wouldn’t be surprised if England opted to give a run-out to a few of their fringe players here.
That may well have been in the original plan for this series, and with Ireland famed for its hospitality, I wonder if a few in the England camp enjoyed themselves on Friday night once that match was abandoned.
I have no proof of that, for the record, and such hunches are no basis for striking a decent bet, but this match will not be life or death for most in the away dressing room.
Conversely, Ireland have made no secret of their frustration at such a light international summer, and they will be treating this as their World Cup final.
To steal a racing term, Ireland ought to come on for the run, not that Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker looked rusty as they put England’s bowlers to the sword in an impressive assault on Wednesday.
If England turn in a sloppy performance here, which I fear they might, Ireland could push them close, and purely for trading purposes, the hosts are of interest at the current 11.0 on the Betfair Exchange. They traded much shorter than that at the halfway mark on Wednesday.
It's not ideal to recommend trading bets here with no recourse for getting out in-play and exchange odds more volatile, but I’ll advise a small bet at 8/1 with a view to cashing out should Ireland get a good foothold in the game at some stage.
As ever, readers may decide to put the general theory into action in ways allowed by where they choose to bet. If you are an exchange punter, take double-figures is the advice.
Evergreen Young the answer
I will also be sticking with CRAIG YOUNG to be top Ireland bowler.
Young couldn’t land in the series opener, but I thought he was the pick of the home attack, and his final figures of 3-0-26-0 weren’t too bad at all.
Young was the only bowler able to keep Phil Salt and Jos Buttler on their toes to some degree, and he bowled really well to Sam Curran.
With Mark Adair and Josh Little absent, Young is the attack leader for Ireland, and his T20I strike-rate of 16.5 is very respectable.
He has 84 wickets to his name already in this format, so the 35-year-old clearly knows his job, and I’m happy to give him another chance.
Preview published at 1830 BST on 20/09/25
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