Morgan leads England to victory

England avenged their World Cup defeat against Ireland with an 11-run victory over the hosts in Thursday’s rain-affected one-day international at Clontarf.

The Irish were eyeing another famous win over England after restricting the visitors, captained by Dublin-born Eoin Morgan, to 201 for eight in 42 overs.

But hopes of a repeat of Ireland’s World Cup victory in Bangalore in March were washed away by the constant drizzle that disrupted the hosts’ chances of establishing any momentum.

After two rain interruptions during the Irish innings the target was reduced to 129 from 23 overs and England were able to maintain enough control in the closing stages to secure a relatively straightforward win.

Morgan, captaining England for the first time, admitted he had struggled at times to keep up with the Duckworth/Lewis Method for rain-affected matches.

“It was like being back at school to be honest,” he said. “But I really enjoyed it.