England were left stunned by Ireland in a shock World Cup defeat at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.
The Irish side, who had never won a World Cup match before, pulled off a remarkable victory as rain stopped play with England just five runs behind on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.
England had looked on course for victory after a strong start to their innings, with captain Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler both scoring half-centuries.
But the Irish bowlers, led by Tim Murtagh, kept the pressure on and eventually got the breakthrough they needed when Morgan was dismissed for 87.
From there, the Irish bowlers kept the pressure on and eventually got the breakthrough they needed when Morgan was dismissed for 87.
The English batsmen then struggled to keep up with the required run rate, and when the rain came down, they were left five runs behind on the DLS method.
It was a remarkable victory for the Irish, who had never won a World Cup match before, and it was a huge disappointment for England, who had been tipped to go all the way in the tournament.
The defeat was a huge blow to England’s hopes of winning the World Cup, and it will be interesting to see how they respond in their next match against Bangladesh on Tuesday.
England will need to regroup quickly and put this defeat behind them if they are to have any chance of progressing in the tournament.
It was a remarkable victory for Ireland, and a huge disappointment for England, but it is a reminder that anything can happen in cricket, and that no team can be taken for granted.
England will need to put this defeat behind them and focus on their next match if they are to have any chance of progressing in the tournament.