Cross leads youthful England to win over Ireland

First ODI, Belfast

Ireland 210 (46.5 overs): Prendergast 76 (87); Cross 6-30

England 211-6 (34.5 overs): Armitage 44 (44); Prendergast 2-27

England won by four wickets

Scorecard

Kate Cross' career-best figures of 6-30 and 38 not out helped a youthful England side to a four-wicket win over Ireland in the first one-day international in Belfast.

England reached their target of 210 with 15.1 overs to spare, with captain Cross' highest ODI score rescuing them from a precarious 156-6.

An inexperienced England side which included five debutants was boosted by Tammy Beaumont's inclusion at the top of the order, but she could only manage 10 as fellow opener Emma Lamb also fell cheaply for four.

But debutants Hollie Armitage and Paige Scholfield impressively steadied the chase with a third-wicket stand of 62, though the inexperience did creep in with regular wickets falling in the middle before Cross and Heath's match-winning stand of 55.

England's debutants were Armitage and Mady Villiers in their first ODI outings, while Scholfield and 20-year-olds Hannah Baker and Ryana MacDonald-Gay made their full international debuts.

Earlier, Ireland were bowled out for 210 in 46.5 overs, squandering a solid position of 151-3 with 20 overs remaining.

All-rounder Orla Prendergast shone with 76 from 87 balls, adding crucial stands of 53 with Amy Hunter and 77 with Leah Paul.

But Prendergast's departure to Cross stalled the scoring rate and Ireland struggled for lower order contributions, losing their last seven wickets for just 61 runs and settling for a below-par total.

It is Cross' first time captaining her country, with a new-look group sent to Ireland separately to the T20 squad that will travel to the United Arab Emirates in October.

The second ODI of the three-match series takes place on Monday at the same venue, with two T20s to follow in Clontarf, Dublin.

Cross has led England's seam attack for the past few years and at 32, is one of usual captain Heather Knight's most reliable performers.

But on captaincy debut, she relished the responsibility given to lead an exciting but inexperienced group by setting her own high standards in all aspects of the game.

She had opener Una Raymond-Hoey bowled in the first over to set the tone with her unwavering line and length, perfectly contrasting with Lauren Filer's raw pace at the other end, which troubled Ireland's batters consistently.

Leg-spinner Baker and seamer MacDonald-Gay picked up their first international wickets, the former breaking the third-wicket partnership by having Amy Hunter caught at cover for a fine 37.

Cross then brought herself back into the attack at the perfect time to remove Prendergast, who batted with astonishing control and confidence before chipping a slower ball to mid-off.

From there, she was dominant, taking the last four wickets across two overs to exploit Ireland's lower-order fragility.

Without Prendergast - who also removed both England openers in a fiery opening spell with the ball - it would have been a sorry batting performance and Ireland must work to avoid their dependence upon the all-rounder for the remainder of the series.

While Cross led the way, the confidence of England's debutants shone through.

Armitage and Scholfield, at 27 and 28 respectively, would be considered veterans of England's domestic game but had not broken through internationally.

Forming an assured partnership after both openers were lost early, they played with positive aggression and showed the benefits of increased professionalism in the domestic game.

Neither was overawed by the occasion, partly in thanks to their experiences in front of big crowds during The Hundred, as Armitage top-scored with a run-a-ball 44 and Scholfield adding a valuable 31 from 33 balls.

Both would have been frustrated to throw their wickets away in consecutive overs to leave England 96-4, with Armitage caught at cover and Scholfield holing out in the deep.

The other debutants were also composed, with Baker bowling her 10 overs for 53 and MacDonald-Gay finishing with 1-30 from her eight and also taking a catch.

Villiers, who has played 17 T20s for England, finished wicketless and only made 13 with the bat, will be hoping for improvement alongside openers Beaumont and Lamb.

But with Heath also playing only her second ODI and Filer in just her eighth, the style and confidence with which England played suggests a bright future.

Ireland captain Gaby Lewis, speaking to Cricket Ireland: "It was a below-par performance from us. We have got to come back stronger.

"There were positives, Orla was brilliant, but we need to make sure we take our opportunities and build partnerships with the bat once we get in."

England captain and player of the match Kate Cross, speaking to Cricket Ireland: "I had a little bit more to think about with captaincy but it made me take responsibility with our five debutants.

"We haven't had loads of time together but they did so well to rally around each other, it was a great effort."