Stand-in skipper Kate Cross stars with bat and ball as England beat Ireland

Ireland 210 (46.5 ovs) (O Prendergast 76, A Hunter 37, L Paul 33; K Cross 6-30) lost to England 211-6 (34.5 ovs) (H Armitage 44, K Cross 38no, B Heath 33no, P Schofield 31; O Prendergast 2-27) by 4 wkts
Stand-in England captain Kate Cross produced career-best bowling figures before guiding her inexperienced side to a four-wicket win over Ireland in the opening ODI at Stormont.
Cross – leading the side in the absence of Heather Knight, with most of England’s T20 World Cup squad also not in the squad – finished with six for 30 as Ireland collapsed from 151 for three to be bowled out for 210 in the 47th over.
After Ireland made early breakthroughs in England’s reply, Cross then helped steady the innings alongside Freya Kemp, finishing unbeaten on 38 as the tourists won with more than 15 overs to spare.
England handed international debuts to Paige Scholfield, Hannah Baker and Ryana MacDonald-Gay, while Mady Villiers and Hollie Armitage both featured in an ODI for the first time.
Ireland won the toss and elected to bat, but lost Una Raymond-Hoey lbw to Cross in the opening over before stand-in captain Gaby Lewis swiftly followed to leave the hosts 21 for two.
Amy Hunter and Orla Prendergast led the fightback with a 50 partnership, before leg-spinner Baker picked up her first international wicket to remove Hunter for 37.
All-rounder Prendergast top scored with 76 but once she was out in the 31st over, having hit nine boundaries including a six, Ireland collapsed as MacDonald-Gay came in to take her maiden England wicket before Cross ripped through the tail, claiming four wickets in just six balls.
England’s reply got off to a shaky start as Prendergast caught and bowled opener Emma Lamb (four) in the third over, then soon also accounted for Tammy Beaumont (10) to leave the tourists 32 for two.
Scholfield added a swift 31 while Armitage made 44 before World Cup-bound Kemp (26) and a determined unbeaten 33 from wicketkeeper-batter Bess Heath helped Cross – who made her highest ODI score – push England on to victory.
England play the second of their three-match ODI series at the same venue in Belfast on Monday.