England vs Ireland: Ben Duckett scores hundred as batters cash in on second morning
en Duckett took less than an hour to complete a fine hundred as England poured on the runs on the second morning of the one-off Test against Ireland at Lord’s.
An unbroken second-wicket partnership of 216 with Ollie Pope (97*) had the home side 325 for one at lunch, already 153 runs ahead with nine wickets still in hand.
Duckett, playing in his maiden home Test match, had been 60 not-out overnight, having shared a century opening stand with Zak Crawley on Thursday evening as England ate swiftly into Ireland’s first innings total of 172 to reach the close just 20 runs behind.
The partnership had been broken by Crawley’s dismissal shortly before stumps but Duckett picked up where he had left off on the opening day, cutting the first ball of the morning to the fence for four, before going on to reach his second Test century from just 106 deliveries. By lunch, he remained unmoved on 161, having added more than 100 runs to his score in the session.
The Nottinghamshire batter, who already had a Lord’s hundred to his name this summer having made 177 here against Middlesex, earlier drove England into the lead with a crisp stroke down the ground as he and Pope set about taking advantage of a sub-par Irish attack.
Together, they added 173 runs in just 29 overs as England scored at almost exactly a run-a-ball, with the batting of Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow all still to come.
Pope survived the morning’s only real scare, Ireland failing with a review after the Surrey man was hit high on the pad by debutant Fionn Hand, who had made the sole inroad into England’s lineup with the wicket of Crawley yesterday.
Duckett’s century, which could yet become a double, provided the perfect start to a summer he had come into still unproven in English conditions at Test level, having won all nine of his previous caps overseas and was therefore yet to cement his place at the top of the order, despite a fine winter.
The 28-year-old earned a recall after six years out of the side as something of a ‘horses for courses’ pick ahead of the tour to Pakistan and made his maiden Test hundred on a record-breaking first day at Rawalpindi, going on to average more than 70 across the three-match series.
A first innings 84 in England’s win over New Zealand at Mount Maunganui effectively ensured he would start the home summer as the incumbent.
Stiffer examinations await, of course, with the likes of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc tuning up for an Ashes opener that is now just a fortnight away.
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