Star Metro - Broad strikes as Ireland slump at Lord's

Broad removed Ireland's top four, striking twice in three balls as both Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie and Harry Tector fell for ducks.

Ireland recovered to 78-4 at lunch with the experienced Paul Stirling hitting a typically quickfire 30 before falling to Jack Leach.

England great Broad then dismissed obdurate Ireland opener James McCollum early in the second session before left-arm spinner Leach took his second wicket of the match.

England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bowl in overcast conditions and on a green-tinged pitch that promised to aid his three-man pace attack.

Test novices Ireland had few alarms in reaching 15-0 before Broad had Peter Moor plumb lbw for 10 as he aimed legside, the batsman not bothering with a review.

Number three Balbirnie, the only Irishman to appear in all seven of his country's Tests, then fell for a five-ball duck when he edged Broad low to Zak Crawley at second slip.

Two balls later Ireland's 19-2 became 19-3 when Tector clipped Broad off his pads straight to Matthew Potts at leg slip.

The next delivery saw Stirling given out lbw.

But the Ireland veteran successfully reviewed Australian umpire Paul Wilson's decision, avoiding a duck.

Broad, however, had still taken 3-8 in four overs.

A Test scheduled for four days rather than the standard five was threatening to go the way of the corresponding Lord's clash four years ago when Ireland collapsed.

Back then, England slumped to 85 all out only to win by the huge margin of 143 runs after they skittled out Ireland for just 38.

But Stirling counter-attacked after England debutant fast bowler Josh Tongue launched his Test career with two maidens.

An innings featuring 20 runs in boundaries ended when Stirling top-edged a sweep off Leach to give a simple catch to recalled wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, playing his first Test since August last year after a freak leg injury on a golf course.

In increasingly sunny conditions, McCollum's determined innings of 36 off 108 balls ended when he edged Broad to Joe Root at first slip.

Ireland, still searching for their first Test win, slid to 104-6 when Lorcan Tucker (18) was lbw on the sweep to Leach.

England had rested seamers James Anderson and Ollie Robinson to ensure the pair were fully fit for the start of the Ashes series against Australia later this month.

This match also came just weeks before Ireland travel to Zimbabwe for a 50-over World Cup qualifying tournament, with Balbirnie saying in the build-up: "If we get bowled out for 30 in both innings against England but qualify for both (50 and T20) World Cups, that's a win; that's our most successful summer ever."

O.Martin--SMC