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England cruised to a 67-run victory against Ireland in Dublin in their T20 match on Saturday.
Ireland would have had to claim a record chase of 177 for victory, but fell well short against their opponents.
The away side had fielded four players winning their first caps for their country in the T20 format, but that did not prevent them from running out convincing winners.
Bryony Smith hit 58 off 30 balls, as she added 72 in the first 6.5 overs alongside Tammy Beaumont (27). Smith was dropped on 44 and Beaumont on 16 as Ireland missed early chances to knock England off their stride.
They reached 112-1 before a mini-collapse to 116-4, but Mady Villiers stepped up to contribute 35 off 15 to help them to 176 as the last five wickets fell for only six runs at the end of the innings.
One of England’s debutants, Charis Pavely, took three wickets for 19 runs as the home side struggled to get any momentum.
Pavely, Seren Smale and Georgia Adams were all making their first appearance for England, while Paige Scholfield earned her first cap in the format.
In comparison to England’s rapid start, Ireland were 32-3 at the end of the six-over powerplay, and it was only Orla Prendergast’s 52 runs from 34 deliveries that kept the match from finishing even sooner.
Speaking after the win, England captain Kate Cross praised her side.
She said: “I thought if I was a bowler I wouldn’t be sure where to bowl to Bryony [Smith]. I thought she and Tammy were great up front.
“Issy [Wong]’s had a really tough couple of years, she’s showcased all her skills today [with two wickets for 14 runs]. The ball that got Gaby [Lewis] was an absolutely amazing bit of bowling. People have wondered why she’s been given chances, but she showed why today.
“In T20 cricket it’s about recognising when to wrestle back momentum. I think when Mady Villiers came in she gave us a bit of impetus. If she hadn’t, it might have been a different game.
“I think everyone smiling has been my favourite element. Charis Pavely looked like she was having the time of her life out there. Everybody contributed out there, and it was really exciting.”
The two teams meet again in the second of two T20 Internationals on Sunday.