Ireland vs England, 1st T20I at Dublin, IRE vs ENG, Sep 17 2025 - Ball by Ball Commentary

Right, that's all from us here! See you on Friday back at Malahide for the 2nd T20I...

5:10pm Unsurprisingly, Phil Salt is player of the match with his 89 off 46 in the chase. That's now 230 runs from 109 deliveries for a single dismissal across this knock and his efforts at Emirates Old Trafford against South Africa last Friday.

5:05pm A clearly chuffed Jacob Bethell, victory in his maiden fixture as England captain, overseeing their first over Ireland in T20Is, is up at the post-match presentation:

"It feels pretty special. To win the first one's always nice. A great feeling and can't wait to get going again on Friday.

"Coming to a ground like this, it was a bit of an unknown. Coming off we'd have said it was a couple too many. Going into Friday and Sunday, we know how to defend more and how to take wickets at this place."

On the form of Buttler and Salt up top: "I think their opening partnership averages about 55 at a ridiculous strike rate. For me, personally, batting after them is very nice!"

Here's Ireland skipper Paul Stirling: "I don't think we could have asked for much more (with the bat). It was tricky enough at the top, and to come out and score 196, were pretty happy with. But you know you've got to do everything right in the next bit and have a bit of luck and we didn't do that.

"We kept trying to take wickets, there's no point going ultra defensive and losing with less balls to spare. We'll take the six wickets. We'll review what happened today ad see if we can improve on it. We've got a big winter ahead of us and this was the start of it."

4:50pm Ireland did well enough to post 196 or 3, Tector (61*) and Tucker (55) providing the late surge. Alas, England had too much for them.

"The way those guys play, they know they can access wherever they want," says Matthew Humphreys, who finished with 2 for 44. "Trying to stay a step ahead of them is hard. "

"We saw there was a bit of spin on offer, but you have to be brave and try and over-spin to get that out of the pitch. I maybe didn't quite do that at times. They came hard at us and made it difficult for us.

"I think the way the guys went out there with the bat was amazing. That was probably an above-par score, There are obviously a few cobwebs there in general. We're looking forward to getting out there on Friday.

Jamie Overton to face his first delivery

Six still needed, Jacks to face his first ball

Stirling puts himself in at slip

So Salt misses out on becoming the first batter to score back-to-back T20I centuries twice. He was furious as he walked off. Humphreys with his final over, Will Jacks at the nonstriker's end

16 needed now, Salt 11 away from his fifth T20 century...

Tom Banton to the middle with 17 needed off 27...

Stirlo: "England need to learn how to get out of the way of the inform player. Bethel and Curran soaking up the strike when Salt is clearly on fire, is just poor play. And why Jordan Cox isn't playing is beyond me." To be fair, McCullum wants to see what Curran can do in the top six, given that's the clearest place for him as an allrounder. Hume, whose first over went for 22, returns to the attack...