Alice Capsey bludgeons England to T20 World Cup win over Ireland

• Ireland vs England: full scoreboard

Timing is everything in cricket, as well as in the realms of higher finance, which the English women’s game entered for the first time during the Women’s Premier League inaugural auction in Mumbai.

Alice Capsey, aged 18, hit the fastest ever fifty for England Women straight after she had been bought for only £74,800. Had she scored her record-breaking fifty a few hours earlier, she might have matched the £320,000 which Nat Sciver-Brunt earned, instead of being contracted for less than a quarter of that sum.

Capsey belted her 50 off 21 balls, dispatching some erratic bowling by Ireland with excellent footwork, strength and timing. She confirmed her status as England’s brightest batting prospect, perhaps in conjunction with Sophie Dunkley.

After Capsey’s hitting, which equalled the fastest fifties ever in the women’s game, England should have knocked off their target of 106 rather more easily than scrambling over the line with four wickets in hand. At least they have won the first two of their four qualifiers.

The auction might have distracted the focus of some England players, although the big earners were all picked up before the start. What will concern the head coach Jon Lewis henceforth is that England’s pace bowlers had little impact in their opening spells, just as in the opening game against West Indies.

Lauren Bell and Katherine Sciver-Brunt had to be taken off after one over each with the new ball, with Ireland 18 without loss. England are not going to progress far in the knockout stages if they have to rely so much on their three main spinners as they are currently.

Slow left-armer Sophie Ecclestone, leg-spinner Sarah Glenn and off-spinner Charlie Dean took eight wickets between them, the first time in a T20 international that spin has taken so many wickets for England. Against West Indies this trio took three wickets for 72 runs off 12 overs; against Ireland they took eight wickets for 58 runs off 11 overs, forcing the side that chose to bat first to collapse from 80 for two to 105 all out.

Bell could point to a straightforward catch missed in her opening over by Danni Wyatt at square cover. Wyatt might have been concerned that no franchise made a bid for her opening bid price of £49,500. She subsequently missed a run-out chance, then ran herself out. She did, though, take a catch at deep square-leg which dismissed Ireland's top-scorer Gaby Lewis, which sparked the disintegration from 80 for two.

England’s best bowler was Ecclestone, as usual, a banker in almost every sense after her pay-day. Her three wickets gave her 196 in all for England. She is still only 23 yet already a classic left-arm spinner.

Ireland have their promising players too. Their top three batters, who do not share 60 years between them, took them to 42 for one in the powerplay, after West Indies had scored 47 without loss in the powerplay against England. Against a team that starts hard, like West Indies and Ireland, but keeps going hard, unlike West Indies and Ireland, England may be in trouble.

Women's T20 World Cup: England beat Ireland by four wickets, as it happened

04:19 PM

England captain Heather Knight speaks

04:06 PM

Losing captain Laura Delany speaks

Just too much poor cricket to keep themselves in the game. Looked like they might set a half-competitive total at the half-way stage, maybe 140 or 150 but then collapsed disastrously and still had 14 balls left. England then lost an early wicket but some poor bowling allowed Alice Capsey to free her arms and get England most of the way there. Ireland bowled pretty well at the end, though, but the game was gone.

03:57 PM

Player of the match...

It's Alice Capsey, unarguably.

03:52 PM

ENG WIN BY FOUR WICKETS!

No mistake about this. Katherine Sciver-Brunt plays a wonderful shot along the ground through the covers, beating the diving fielder to take England over the line.

They made it more difficult than it needed to be but, really, after Caspey's 21-ball 50 Ireland were never serious contenders for the win.

Still, two in two for England.

03:50 PM

OVER 14: ENG 103/6 (K Sciver-Brunt 1* Ecclestone 0*)

England making a mess of this...

03:49 PM

WICKET! Jones c Delany b Murray 12 (12)

It's Katherine Sciver-Brunt who joins Amy Jones at the crease after that wicket. It's a bit too frantic out there, as Amy Jones is nearly run out at the striker's end. She makes it, just and then plays a shot right over the bowler's head... one bounce and four to take England to within one hit.

She tries to do it in one hit this time, but slices it high in the air and England are six down! Three to win...

FOW 103/6

03:46 PM

WICKET! Knight b Murray 14 (23)

Knight misses a sweep, it deflects off her gloves and then rolled onto the stumps. A pretty unsatisfactory dismissal as England continue to stutter after such a fine start. Ireland aren't winning this, of course, but they've put up a much better account of themselves with the ball since Capsey went.

FOW 98/5

03:44 PM

OVER 13: ENG 97/4 (Knight 14* Jones 7*) – target 106

Arlene Kelly returns. England just content to take the singles and try and put away the bad balls. It's not making for an especially thrilling finish, but Ireland have found a bit more consistency in their bowling in fairness after that ragged start.

A single off the over, a good one from Kelly.

03:40 PM

OVER 12: ENG 96/4 (Knight 14* Jones 6*) – target 106

Captain Laura Delany brings herself on to bowl now. Right-arm medium pace. Three dots, before Knight goes aerial and lofts a drive over cover and to the boundary for four. Two dots to finish the over.

10 more required for England. 

03:36 PM

OVER 11: ENG 89/4 (Knight 9* Jones 4*) – target 106

It has been a while since England's last boundary, but that is not a problem. Leah Paul tosses it up to tempt Jones and it's a decent over from her. Three off it.

03:33 PM

OVER 10: ENG 86/4 (Knight 8* Jones 2*) – target 106

Cara Murray finishes off her second over, and Amy Jones and Heather Knight milk five runs off it.

England need just 20 off 60.

03:30 PM

WICKET! N Sciver-Brunt c Hunter b Murray 5 (7)

The stutter continues... NSB is tempted by a bit of air from Cara Murray and sends it high in the air trying to go big but finds long-off Hunter, running in to takes a good catch.

FOW 81/4

03:28 PM

OVER 9: ENG 77/3 (N Sciver-Brunt 5* Knight 5*) – target 106

Leah Paul, who took a good catch earlier on, is on with her slow left armers. It's a bit of a strange action and a bit "slingy" towards the end of it, but there is always a place for an idiosyncratic spin bowler in the game. Just four dots from the over but that is more than England need from here.

03:25 PM

OVER 8: ENG 77/3 (Knight 3* N Sciver-Brunt 3*) – target 106

A bit of leg break from Cara Murray. They need magic from every single bowler here and even with that they still wouldn't win. Four runs and a wicket from her first over. England stuttering a bit here but they had such a low total and Capsey got pretty much half of them herself so, yeah... not much left in this game really.

03:22 PM

WICKET! Wyatt run out Waldron 16 (13)

Wyatt hits it straight to cover but goes for the run. She is sent back by NSB (who had started to advance and called "waiting") and is run out by several yards. There was never a run there. A bit of a brain-fade, but NSB probably sold her a bit of a dummy.

FOW 74/3

03:20 PM

OVER 7: ENG 73/2 (Wyatt 16* N Sciver-Brunt 2*) – target 106

Just four runs from the over as England continue to march on, despite the loss of Capsey.

03:17 PM

WICKET! Capsey c Paul b Kelly 51 (22)

A slower ball from Kelly, Capsey has a thwack at a wide-ish and slow ball again, doesn't move her feet much and sends it aerial to Paul in the deep who takes an excellent catch.

A superb innings from Capsey and she goes with just 26 more needed for the win after coming in early on.

FOW 70/2

03:14 PM

OVER 6: ENG 69/1 (Capsey* 51 Wyatt 14*) – target 106

England half-way there after just a quarter of their allotted overs. Eimar Richardson continues with her round-the-wicket off-spinners. Wyatt gets off strike with a single and then Capsey clubs a short ball down the ground for her 10th four of the innings... Capsey has batted well but she is putting away the rubbish here.

And she continues to do so... dispatching a drag-down over the covers for four. That is followed up by launching a donkey drop for six over the midwicket boundary to take her to 50 from 21 balls. Superb.

03:12 PM

OVER 5: ENG 53/1 (Capsey* 36 Wyatt 13*) – target 106

Arlene Kelly on for Ireland. A single from Wyatt beings Capsey onto strike and yes, you've guessed it, it's another four. A full toss down the leg side and it's an easy four with a pull. Poor ball that at any level of cricket. Capsey then does not manage to beat the field, for once.

It's another four for Capsey off the fifth ball, albeit a bit more fortuitously. It keeps a bit low, and Capsey can only get a glancing bottom edge on it, but that's enough for it to beat the keeper and the rest of the field.

03:08 PM

OVER 4: ENG 43/1 (Capsey* 27 Wyatt 12*) – target 106

A change of bowler and a change of pace and who can blame Ireland? It's Eimar Richardson with her off-breaks, starting from round the wicket from ball one to the two right-handers.

The second ball is very loopy, but Capsey doesn't quite get hold of it, plays it along the ground but finds the fielder in the deep.

Capsey tries to make use of the wide angle and gets out a reverse sweep, which backward point manages to only slow its progress to the boundary. Looked like it was fielded on the boundary edge to save one but it was not. The ball had already touched the "ropes".

It's four through a misfield through wide long-on. Gaby Lewis not picking it up or misjudging it. The sixth ball is slogged a bit straight and beats the fielder again! Three in a row! Capsey being destructive. 27 off 13 with six fours.

03:03 PM

OVER 3: ENG 29/1 (Capsey* 14 Wyatt 11*) – target 106

Capsey rocks back to the first ball of Prendergast's second over and pulls it in front of square for consecutive boundaries.

Capsey showing a lot of intent here. Batting outside of her crease and chasing the ball. She doesn't get to the third ball, though, being hit in the midriff which looks a bit painful.

Wyatt's turn to hit a boundary, latching onto a short ball from Prendergast. It just sits up about hip height and it's an easy four, out to the clear midwicket spot. A dot to end the over.

02:59 PM

OVER 2: ENG 20/1 (Capsey* 9 Wyatt 7*) – target 106

Jane Maguire to bowl the second over for Ireland. Capsey gets off the mark leaning into a full ball and stroking it through the covers for four. She picks up four more next ball, it's short and she goes backwards punching it past the bowler and back to the boundary for a boundary.

A single brings Wyatt onto strike and Maguire gets more punishment... a six over long-on! It's high, but the connection off a slow-ish, loopy ball is good enough for it to get beyond the boundary marker.

That was a good over from England; 16 runs and three boundaries from it.

02:54 PM

OVER 1: ENG 4/1 (Capsey* 0 Wyatt 0*) – target 106

Well, not the worst possible start for England, but not a good one, either.

02:53 PM

WICKET! Dunkley c Kelly b Prendergast 4 (5)

It's a good start from Prendergast who gets some late inswing to the right-handed Dunkley. Three dots to begin before Dunkley swipes across the line to a slightly shorter and wider ball. Four!

A good transfer of power after she shuffles down the wicket and sends it to the midwicket boundary with a lot of bottom hand.

But Prendergast gets instant revenge! Dunkley goes for the big hit through the line again but can only find mid-on! Didn't get a good connection there.

FOW 4/1

02:50 PM

Right, here we go

England's reply is about to begin with Sophia Dunkley and Dani Wyatt opening. Orla Prendergast to take the new ball for Ireland.

02:43 PM

END OF INNS: IRELAND 105 all out

Well, it was a decent start from Ireland but England's spinners then wrought havoc, taking eight wickets in almost no time and for just 25 runs. Ireland should be pretty disappointed with that. England have a fairly easy chase, it would seem.

02:41 PM

WICKET! Maguire c N Sciver-Brunt b K Sciver-Brunt 1 (3)

That's it, that is the end of a very tame Ireland innings. KSB takes her first wicket of the innings with a little help from wife Nat, who takes a simple catch as Maguire chips the ball to her at short midwicket.

FOW 105ao

02:39 PM

OVER 18: IRE 101/8 (Murray 3* Maguire 1*)

Bell continues and she continues with the pace taken off the ball. A good over, four dots and two singles.

02:36 PM

OVER 17: IRE 101/8 (Murray 1* Maguire 0*)

Can Ireland get to 20 overs here? Probably not. This has been an awful collapse by anyone'e standards.

02:35 PM

WICKET! Delany b Ecclestone 12 (16)

Ecclestone finishes her four overs with 3-13 after bowling captain Delany with a full and straight one which she misses. Almost yorker-length as Delany advanced towards the bowler. Smart bowling.

Not sure this will go the distance.

FOW 103/9

02:33 PM

Scyld Berry on England so far

02:31 PM

OVER 16: IRE 101/8 (Murray 1* Delany 11*)

Delany drives through backward point, all along the ground and Dani Wyatt cannot get there. It brings up 100 for Ireland. Just beats the fielder at backward point, played with soft – and late – hands. Bell utilising her slower balls and to good effect here. Two dots to end the over.

02:28 PM

WICKET! Kelly c Knight b Bell 1 (3)

And another one! A side/back of the hand slower ball from Bell, outside off and a full length. It's hit straight to Heather Knight who takes a good, sharp catch as Ireland lose another one.

The first wicket taken by a seamer in this match.

FOW 95/8

02:27 PM

OVER 15: IRE 95/7 (Kelly 1* Delany 6*)

Feel like captain Delany, who came in at two down, has been there ages and has had to sit through this collapse... feel bad for her.

02:25 PM

WICKET! Paul b Glenn 0 (2)

Leah Paul does not last very long. Two balls. Struck on the pad first ball and then misses the ball next shot, playing across the line. The death rattle behind her and Ireland are seven down and Sarah Glenn has three wickets.

FOW 94/7

02:21 PM

WICKET! Waldron LBW b Glenn 5 (6)

This does look out. Out on-field but Waldron reviews...

Bat not involved here and can't see this isn't going to be three reds. Well, it's umpire's call on hitting the stumps but it was not turning enough to miss off stump, according to ball tracking. Wheels coming off a bit as Ireland try and accelerate. They were 80/2 not that long ago.  Glenn picks up her second!

FOW 94/6

02:20 PM

OVER 14: IRE 94/4 (Delany 6* Waldron 5*)

Mary Waldron in and hits her first ball for four with a reverse-sweep which beats short third-man. A single to end the over keeps her on strike.

14 runs from the over, though.

02:18 PM

WICKET! Little c Ecclestone b Dean 8 (5)

Ireland trying to ramp it up now, understandably. A single to Delany, two to Little and then Little smites a big six over long off! But she's out the next ball as she tries to do the same again. The ball from Dean is wider and Little cannot quite get to it, so it's a bit of a slice and Sophia Ecclestone takes a good diving catch on the off-side.

A bit of a collapse for Ireland now.

FOW 91/5

02:15 PM

OVER 13: IRE 80/4 (Delany 5* Little 0*)

Louise Little avoids falling to the hat-trick ball but that is a wonderful over from Sophie Ecclestone. A double-wicket maiden.

02:13 PM

WICKET! Richardson LBW b Ecclestone 0 (1)

A golden duck! Two in two for Ecclestone! An attempted sweep, missed and up goes the finger!

FOW 80/4

02:12 PM

WICKET! Lewis c Wyatt b Ecclestone 36 (37)

Gaby Lewis does get hold off a sweep off Ecclestone, but this time she finds the fielder out in the deep, Dani Wyatt who takes a decent but comfortable catch at deep backward square leg.

A decent innings from Lewis, but she just failed to click into that final gear.

FOW 80/3

02:07 PM

OVER 12: IRE 80/2 (Lewis 36* Delany 5*)

Nat Sciver-Brunt returns for her second over. Three runs off the first after Lewis pulls. Dunkley misfields but then stops it from going for four. Bad/good fielding, there. Dot, single, then two as NSB mixes things up a bit. Dunkley fielding (again) to stop two on the deep square leg boundary.

Another missed sweep, another call for LBW (umpire says no) and England do decide to review here. 

I think this is probably going to be hitting Lewis outside the line. But we wait. There's nothing on UltraEdge. It hits her on the hip, hitting her outside off so they stay with the on-field decision.

In the end, eight runs from the over, but it wasn't all bad.

02:03 PM

OVER 11: IRE 72/2 (Lewis 31* Delany 4*)

Glenn, bowling pretty well so far, remains in the attack and causes a few problems for Lewis. Another shout for LBW as Lewis misses a sweep. Umpire says no. It was deflect just past the stumps as it rolls to the boundary but it it go for four? Ecclestone saves it just in time and it's just two leg byes instead of four.

Lewis tries to go big again with a slog sweep but it's in the air, deep and safe. Just a single. Top edged it. Ireland just ticking along here, albeit with intent. Five from Glenn's latest.

01:57 PM

OVER 10: IRE 67/2 (Lewis 29* Delany 3*)

K Sciver-Brunt replaces her wife in the attack. Two dots off the first balls. And then another two. One was certainly a false stroke, as Lewis tries to pull a bouncer but can only edge it out onto the off side as it just evades the fielder. The short stuff continues and Lewis continues to go for it, a (better timed) hook bringing a single this time.

A slower ball elicits a big shout for LBW but it would have missed another two stumps on the leg side. They run off it and there's nearly a run-out but the ball bounces over the stumps. Delany would have been out, I think.

Half-way and Ireland are at 67/2. 

01:53 PM

OVER 9: IRE 61/2 (Lewis 26* Delany 1*)

Delany, the captain, is the next woman in. She gets off the mark second ball which brings Gaby Lewis back on strike. She finishes the over with a wonderful shot down the ground through mid-off for four!

One, four, wicket, dot, one, four. Eventful over.

01:51 PM

WICKET! Prendergast b Glenn 17 (15)

Glenn stays in the attack and looks like she's dropped a caught-and-bowled off the first ball. Lewis punches it down the ground, Glenn sticks out a right arm but only deflects it behind.

The next shot from Prendergast is magnificent, in the air and to the long off boundary for four.

However, she tries the same next ball, goes over the top as the ball stays low and thwacks into the off-stump. Prendergast goes.

FOW 56/2

01:49 PM

OVER 8: IRE 51/1 (Lewis 21* Prendergast 13*)

Nat Sciver-Brunt into the attack. Her 106th T20I here. Jones stands up to the stumps for the medium pacer. Another appeal for LBW as Lewis goes down to sweep but misses. It hits her on the midriff but did not look especially out. Just four runs from NSB's first over, all to Prendergast.

01:45 PM

OVER 7: IRE 47/1 (Lewis 21* Prendergast 9*)

Right, we're finally back. About six or seven minutes between an early England appeal for a runout after a KSB direct hit and the game resuming. 6.3 overs in after 40-odd minutes...

Charlie Dean saves a run on the boundary as Prendergast gets four after an outside edge. The third umpire looks at it for an awfully long time to make sure she wasn't touching both ball and boundary at the same time. Five from a long over.

01:40 PM

Another break for the stump mic cabling

This is getting silly.

01:32 PM

OVER 6: IRE 42/1 (Lewis 19* Prendergast 6*)

Orla Prendergast, the new batter, gets off the mark with a single. Another single brings her back onto strike and she dances down the pitch to flay it through extra cover for four. Lovely shot!

Just another single off the over, seven off it in total.

01:29 PM

WICKET! Hunter c Dunkley b Dean 15 (14)

Hunter tries to go big on the leg side, it's not a bad connection but unfortunately it's not good enough and Sophia Dunkley is there to take a fairly simple catch.

It ends a promising opening partnership for Ireland.

FOW 35/1

01:27 PM

OVER 5: IRE 35/0 (Hunter 15* Lewis 19*)

Lewis gets down on one knee to sweep Ecclestone through to the midwicket boundary. N Sciver-Brunt does not pick it up which is why it is a certain four. She apologises for not locating it until it was too late.

Hunter goes aerial down the ground again but it's more of a sand-wedge that an eight-iron so it's just two runs. Only a single off the final three balls so it's eight off the over.

01:23 PM

Gaby Lewis is having a bit of treatment

Looks like a shoulder issue. Not sure if it's serious, but whilst they attempt to sort the stump mic cabling out she may as well.

01:21 PM

The work for the stump mic is still ongoing

A bit of a pain in the grass.

01:18 PM

An impromptu drinks break is taken

They are having problems with the cabling for the stump mic and it needs to be fixed. May as well take a swig of the old H20.

01:16 PM

OVER 4: IRE 27/0 (Hunter 12* Lewis 14*)

Charlie Dean enters the attack with her off-breaks to make it double spin and a double bowling change for England.

Lewis reverse sweeps behind square for four second ball after Hunter took a leg bye. Not a brilliant connection and the fielder cannot cut it out in time. Attempted reverse sweep again which brings out a shout from the bowler as the ball spins sharply on the dry surface. Not interest is the umpire and neither are England in reviewing.

A bit of an agricultural swipe from Lewis gets her a single through cow corner.  Six from the over. Decent start from Ireland, still.

01:12 PM

OVER 3: IRE 21/0 (Hunter 12* Lewis 9*)

Sophie Ecclestone is introduced after a couple of sloppy overs for England. Left-arm spin it is.

First ball nearly brings a chance of a run-out. Hunter would have been gone had it hit, but it didn't so it's a single. Still plenty of intent here from Ireland but Ecclestone is just a bit more difficult to get away. Ecclestone tosses one up, and it's just a single through the covers.

A big shout from the bowler for LBW on the final ball but it didn't look remotely close from here. Just the three from that over and England steady the ship a little.

01:08 PM

OVER 2: IRE 18/0 (Hunter 10* Lewis 8*)

It's Sciver-Brunt, K for the second over. KSB aborts her run-up for what should have been her first ball. It's a bit of a floaty-full one when she does send it down and Hunter leans into it and strokes it firmly through the covers for four. A perfect and textbook cover drive.

Hunter on the charge again, dances down the pitch and lofts it over mid-on for four more! Didn't get it that sweetly but sweetly enough, that is for sure.

Bouncer next up, and an attempted hook goes in the air backward of square but there's not a fielder there to take it and it's another single. A couple of much-needed dots to finish the over. Another good over for Ireland, plenty of intent here.

01:05 PM

OVER 1: IRE 9/0 (Hunter 1* Lewis 8*)

A bit of inswing from Bell first up, but Hunter prods it out to the off-side for a single to get off the mark first ball. Same again, and Lewis squirts it behind square for four. Perhaps a tad wide which gave her some space to send it to the boundary.

Drop by Wyatt! Lewis cuts but doesn't quite get on top of it, it is in the air to Wyatt at point who grasps it but drops it on the way down to her right. 

Lewis then swings one off to the midwicket boundary off her pads. Aerial again but nobody out there.

Nine from the first over for Ireland, and a drop by England.

01:00 PM

It'll be Lauren Bell to bowl the first over for England

Amy Hunter to face the opening ball for Ireland.

12:58 PM

The teams

England

Wyatt
Dunkley
Capsey
N Sciver-Brunt
Knight (c)
Jones (wk)
K Sciver-Brunt
Ecclestone
Dean
Glenn
Bell

Ireland

Hunter
Lewis
Prendergast
Delany (c)
Richardson
Little
Waldron (wk)
Paul
Kelly
Murray
Maguire

12:54 PM

Nearly time to get going

But first, the national anthems. Looks pretty roasting down in Paarl. My sources say it's about 35 degrees which, for my money, is too hot to be playing cricket in long trousers.

12:53 PM

Some of Ireland's most recent results in this format, too

Not including the warm-ups, that is.

Won by 34 runs vs Pakistan
Lost by 6 wickets vs Pakistan
Won by 6 wickets vs Pakistan
Lost by seven runs vs Bangladesh
Won by four runs vs Zimbabwe

12:41 PM

Nat Sciver-Brunt's £320,000 payday shows how women's cricket is about to change

A big day for women's cricket, with the inaugural IPL auction.

Read more from Tim Wigmore here. 

12:36 PM

England captain Heather Knight's thoughts

Unchanged team from England, the same XI who defeated West Indies in their first game.

12:34 PM

Time for the toss... and Ireland win

Conditions look fantastic. Ireland win the toss and they decide to bat first.

"We can't wait to get out there with the bat," says captain Laura Delany. "A good buzz and energy around the group. We're playing three spinners. The rest are seamers and batters."

12:27 PM

England's most recent results

Won by 7 wickets vs West Indies
Won by 5 wickets vs West Indies
Won by 17 runs vs South Africa
Won by 8 wickets vs West Indies
Won by 49 runs vs West Indies
Won by 17 runs vs West Indies
Won by 16 runs vs West Indies
Won by 8 wickets vs West Indies

12:05 PM

From yesterday's match

10:31 AM

Good morning

Welcome to our coverage for the Group 2 game in the Women's T20 World Cup between England and Ireland. England have already played their opening game, but this is Ireland's opening match of the tournament.

Whilst much of the attention around women's cricket today is around the inaugural IPL auction, and understandably so, there is a pretty big tournament still ongoing in South Africa.

England come into this match in decent form, with their last white-ball loss coming 11 games ago, against India in England last September.

They made light work of the West Indies at the end of last year, winning a three-match ODI series 3-0 and a four-match T20I series 4-0. They saw them off comfortably in their opening game of the World Cup, too, winning by seven wickets in Paarl.

Sophie Ecclestone was the standout performer with the ball, taking 3-23 off her four overs, helping to restrict West Indies to 135-7 off their 20 overs.

England knocked off that target within 15 overs for only the loss of three wickets. Sophia Dunkley got things off to a fairly rapid start with 34 off 29, before Nat Sciver-Brunt – who has been sold for £320,000 in the IPL auction – and captain Heather Knight finished things off with 40 not out off 30 balls and 32 not out off 22 balls respectively. Each hit a six in their 67-run partnership to give England a winning start to the tournament.

England, then, are naturally enormous favourites at 1/20 on for this game, but it would be foolish to disrespect Ireland's ability. They got to within two runs of a tricky 149 in their opening warm-up game last week and then beat tournament favourites Australia by chasing down 169 in the final over two days later.

Of course, there are caveats to that in that it was an unofficial T20I with Australia retiring batters on reaching their fifties, but it was still a fine result for Ireland.

Anyway, Ireland vs England gets going at 1pm GMT and we will be here for all of the live updates and reaction from it.