England clinch series win over Ireland as Jordan Cox shines on return to side

Jordan Cox celebrated his return to the England side with a dominant half-century in a series-clinching victory over Ireland in Malahide.

Cox, back in an England XI for the first time since last November, made the most of a rare opportunity as his 55 carried the visitors to a six-wicket win in the third T20 and a 2-0 triumph overall.

The 24-year-old, who had a previous best of 22 in five white-ball internationals, finished as the top run-scorer in this summer’s Hundred and carried that form over after getting the nod ahead of Will Jacks.

Despite jarring his knee while taking a catch in the first innings, Cox looked in rude health as he thrashed four sixes and four fours in a flashy 35-ball stay.

Ireland’s 154 for eight was never likely to pose too much of a hurdle to a team who comfortably chased 197 in Wednesday’s opening game but the target could have been considerably slimmer.

Just over a third of Ireland’s runs came off rookie England seamer Sonny Baker, whose hopes of banishing memories of a difficult ODI debut against South Africa ended in further frustration.

He was thrashed for 52 in four wicketless overs, conspicuously costly figures in a card that saw Jamie Overton take two for 17 and Adil Rashid pick up three for 29.

England lost Jos Buttler for a second ball duck, Curtis Campher plucking a wonderful one-handed catch millimetres off the ground, and saw captain Jacob Bethell follow for 15 when he failed to get enough on a pull off Craig Young.

That meant an early chance for Cox to strut his stuff and he took full advantage of the fielding restrictions, lashing 22 from his first eight balls. That included two fierce sixes into the leg side, the first sailing out of the ground and the second almost following suit.

Matthew Humphreys thought he had him lbw, only to be denied by a graze of the bat, and a third six soon followed as Cox continued to race ahead of the required rate.

Phil Salt, for once playing second fiddle in terms of aggression, made 29 before Campher had him caught behind but time was already running short. Cox reached a maiden fifty with another haymaker over midwicket before Ben White finally snuck one past him to end the fireworks.

By then it was all over as a contest, Tom Banton finishing with 37 not to out to finish the job 17 balls early.

Baker was handed the new ball after England won the toss, along with an immediate chance to improve on the chastening nought for 76 on his 50-over bow. He beat Paul Stirling with his first two balls but this was not to be the fresh beginning he desired.

Having been taken apart by Proteas star Aiden Markram at Headingley, this time he came off second best against the less established Ross Adair, who clubbed him for three fours and a booming straight six.

After exiting the powerplay on 46 for one, Ireland dug themselves a hole in the next five overs, managing just two boundaries at the cost of three wickets. Adair’s slog-sweep off Rehan Ahmed came up short and neither Lorcan Tucker nor Campher had the muscle to clear the ropes off Overton.

At the mid-point of the innings the brakes were on at 62 for four and then Rashid went to work. Ben Calitz chipped to cover after a promising debut knock of 22, Barry McCarthy fell lbw to a first ball googly and Humphreys dragged to Cox.

Gareth Delany lifted Ireland with a late show of 48 not out in 29 balls and Baker once again took the brunt of it, seeing back-to-back sixes dumped into one of the temporary stands as his penultimate over went for 18.