(EUROSPORT) – Eoin Morgan was victorious on his return to Ireland as his England side held their nerve to win by 11 runs in a rain-affected one-off, one-day international at Clontarf ground in Dublin yesterday. Stand-in captain Morgan was triumphant on his much-publicised return to his homeland against his former side as England’s new-look one-day team exacted a measure of revenge for their predecessors, who were vanquished in a famously thrilling World Cup fixture in Bangalore.
England posted a score 201 for eight from their 42 overs as Morgan scored 59 alongside Jonathan Trott, who anchored the innings with a characteristically circumspect knock.
Ireland briefly looked in the match as Kevin O’Brien plundered a typically thrilling and destructive 26 off 15 balls, but England’s bowlers held their composure to close out the victory in the hosts’ revised 23-over innings.
The rain played a big part in the match, but England’s development side were left jubilant at the end with Ireland skipper William Porterfield left to lament his side’s revised total after the Duckworth-Lewis method was employed.
Despite losing to the Irish in the World Cup in March, England opted to make a host of changes for this match and included three debutants in a side captained by Dubliner Morgan for the first time, but new boys James Taylor and Ben Stokes made just four between them as England failed to capitalise on a century stand between Morgan and Trott, and the visitors’ total did not look remotely commanding.
Ireland went into the second rain interruption on 42 for two after 13 overs after the early loss of both openers, Ed Joyce and Paul Stirling, to Steven Finn.
Captain Porterfield and wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien steadied their side, but a further rain intervention left the hosts needing 87 from the final 10 overs of their run-chase.
Porterfield was somewhat suspiciously run-out after the restart as the big-hitting Kevin O’Brien was swiftly given the platform to tee off as another blistering knock ensued, including two sixes.
But Jade Dernbach stepped in to seize the initiative back for England with three quick wickets, including that of the dangerman O’Brien  whose record-breaking century inspired Ireland to their win over England in Bangalore and his brother Niall.
John Mooney and Gary Wilson salvaged priceless runs for Ireland down the order, but the hosts fell 11 runs short as Dernbach bowled the final over with expert precision.
It was a triumphant return to Clontarf for Morgan, and for England the fixture saw many development players given a taster of competitive international cricket, albeit with the rain overshadowing what Ireland were hoping would be another historic day in their country’s cricketing history.