Ireland’s Tim Murtagh stuns hungover England on Test day of 20 wickets

Well, it all panned out more or less as expected to enable the sages to sit back comfortably in their armchairs. The consensus was that on a flat, green pitch the ball might do a bit in the first couple of hours at Lord’s and then batting would become a much more straightforward exercise as the sun scorched any lingering demons. And so it proved. Sort of.

Now take a look at the scorecard and gasp. England, who won the toss on a cloudless day, were bowled out by Ireland for 85 in 23.4 overs, their shortest completed Test innings in this country. Tim Murtagh, the Middlesex stalwart, snared five for 13 in his first and only spell of nine overs.

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