England v Ireland: Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2026 – live | Women’s T20 World Cup 2026

11th over: Ireland 59-5 (Paul 1, Tector 0 ) Dean teases Tector, who can’t get her away. A single and a wide is the best Ireland can take. Cat and mouse now, though the kids in the crowd waving flags don’t seem to mind.

10th over: Ireland 57-5( Paul 0, Tector 0 ) Yet again the bowling change works, this time Gibson gets rid of the insatiable Prendergast, who was looking hungry for runs.

Leans back to cut with heavy boots and can only chop the ball into her stumps, in a celebration of flashing bails

9th over: Ireland 53-4 ( Prendergast 22, Paul 0) Oooo nearly a two-wicket over – as Paul chips in the air first ball and the ball just falls short of a running, diving NSB at short extra cover

Stokell advances, but it is a quicker ball from Ecclestone and a legside Jones picks off the bails.

8th over: Ireland 50-3 ( Prendergast 20, Stokell 8) Time for some Freya Kemp. Lovely rhythmic run-up. Stokell goes for a big swing but misses and Amy Jones, right up to the stumps collects. But she does make contact next ball, shovelling through the covers and Linsey Smith does a drowning frog impression and lets the ball run past her to the rope.

7th over: Ireland 43-3 ( Prendergast 19, Stokell 2) Prendergast has her eye in and isn’t going to hang around. She bends her knees and zips four immediately through backward square. She picks up a single and then Stokell can’t get away the last three balls.

6th over: Ireland 38-3 ( Prendergast 14, Stokell 2) Ecclestone’s first ball is cut for four, just beating a chasing Bell. The third ball is lofted straight, with perfect head movement for four more. Prendergast showing just why she’s such a danger. And that’s the end of the power play.

5th over: Ireland 25-3( Prendergast 3, Stokell 0) A wicket maiden to start for Charlie Dean.

Ireland! Calm down. Dalzell goes to drive, gets an edge and Kemp takes the catch at extra cover.

4th over: Ireland 25-2 ( Dalzell 14, Prendergast 3) Dalzell goes on the attack, dances to the ball and envelopes four through long off. Smith looks unbothered. A handful of singles.

3rd over: Ireland 17-2 ( Dalzell 8, Prendergast 1) Lewis can’t believe what she’s done, throws her head back in frustration. Dalzell had previously sailed four through midwicket.

The sweep breaks Irish hearts again! Lewis shimmies past off stump and plumps for a flick-sweep, it sounds sweet but she picks out Knight at short fine leg who leaps into the air and holds on.

Hunter wants to get bat on ball, drops to sweep, misses and the ball skids into her off stump. Smith clutches her fists to her body in celebration.

2nd over: Ireland 8-1 ( Dalzell 1, Lewis 0) Linsey Smith at the other end, collar up, hair in her familiar bun. Dives to collect off her own bowling. Dalzell is off the mark, looping the ball high, but just safe, then Hunter makes the bad decision to sweep.

1st over: Ireland 6-0 ( Hunter 5, Dalzell 0) Lauren Bell stands with hands on her hips at the top of her mark waiting for the signal to run in. One slip waits – and 20 year old Hunter brushes the first ball down to the rope. A wide follows, a single and four dots.

Some belting singing from the Irish and English teams, and the

Hello Gaz Boardman. “Apologies if this has been asked before. I was watching the highlights from England’s first game during the rain break. I was wondering why Kemp’s 3 wickets in 1 over isn’t classed as a hat trick? The current 3 wickets in 3 balls could be regarded as a perfect hat trick…? Also I know sports fans love fans from other sports butting in and making suggestions to change things…”

Gaz, what are you saying?! I can hear the sound of teeth gnashing all round the country.

The anthems are on the way, and it looks like a good crowd sitting in the Southampton amphitheatre. I know a lot of people don’t love this ground, but I’m a fan. Lewis and Sciver-Brunt lead out the mascots, and the teams.

Ireland XI: Amy Hunter (wk), Alana Dalzell, Gaby Lewis (c), Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell, Leah Paul, Alice Tector, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Cara Murray, Aimee Maguire.

Tash Farrant says Amy Hunt and Orla Predergast are England’s most wanted.

England XI: Wyatt-Hodge, Jones (wk), Sciver-Brunt (c), Capsey, Knight, Kemp, Gibson, Dean, Ecclestone, Smith, Bell.

England are unchanged.

Nat Sciver Brunt:“We’ve seen some really good chases at this ground and are looking forwad to seeing how it goes. We showed great composure in the first match.” They are unchanged from the opening game against Sri Lanka.

The sports minister Steph Peacock has been at Southampton today as part of a taskforce looking to grow women’s sport.

Lauren Bell loves bowling here, Danni Wyatt Hodge loves batting here. Hopefully they get their chance today.

The covers are off. Nasser Hussain and Tash Farrant say that fielding will be crucial in these slippery conditions.

It’s stopped raining at Southampton and the players are doing vigorous warm-ups. Still a bit away from the toss though I think.

”We’re a team of staff from England Netball volunteering at the game volunteering as flag bearers,” writes Jodie Anthony. “We wanted to use our volunteering day to advocate for our fellow women’s sport and be part of the excitement of the T20 World Cup. It was much sunnier when we walked the flags out for the first game.”

That is so lovely to see! I can’t upload the photo you sent at the moment but I will continue prodding at the buttons.

With the support of Cricket Scotland, Fiona Reid and Bunny Warren are trying to find hidden stories of women’s cricket in Scotland from the last 150 years. If you have any tucked up your sleeve, please do contact them at Fiona.Reid@bayfirth.co.uk . Find out more here

Update – still raining.

The weather is not currently playing ball. “Full covers on,” says Raf. “The crowd has retreated under shelter.Should pass fairly quickly but we may get a delayed start.”

Raf is in position at Southampton – though she has provided no reports of any fancy cheescake yet. “Hello! I’m currently watching the end of a fascinating NZ v Sri Lanka contest. The ground is about half full at the moment – they’re expecting almost 10,000 people in for the England game.”

And in fact Sri Lanka have just won a thriller by five wickets, with two balls to spare.

Good evening! Let’s get stuck in – England’s second match of the tournament after their dicing of Sri Lanka, and Ireland’s second after losing rather disappointingly to Scotland by 40 runs. They’ll be keen to give England a run from their money today, with much depending on Orla Prendergast, the talented all rounder who plays as the overseas for the Blaze , especially as former captain Laura Delany is missing the whole tournament through injury.

The toss is at 6pm – do send me a message if you’re at Southampton, or if you’ve got any thoughts on what’s going on – I’d love to hear from you.