Jamie Overton could become the youngest England player since Brian Close in 1949 if he is chosen in a side which will almost certainly feature batsmen Michael Carberry and Gary Ballance and Irish fast bowler Boyd Rankin for the first time in one-day cricket.
Rankin has played Twenty20 for England this summer and Carberry has one Test cap from a 2010 tour to Bangladesh but this will be their first serious test as they begin challenges for berths on this winter’s Ashes tour.
They will meet an Ireland side full of experience with eight survivors from that win in Bangalore in 2011 plus Tim Murtagh, of Middlesex, one of the most consistent bowlers in county cricket who qualified for Ireland last year through his grandparents.
Overton is a physically strong 19-year-old quick bowler who looks like a rugby player in whites. Overton is also part of the squad to play Australia and when picked he will be the first teenager to play for England since Ben Hollioake in 1997.
“I wouldn’t ever take Ireland for granted and say a weakened side would make it any more level,” said Eoin Morgan, who will captain England for the rest of the summer.
“I think we’ve brought a strong side, a young and very talented side that given opportunities hopefully will show they are world beaters.
“It’s very exciting for us to come across here and give these guys opportunities to hopefully flourish, particularly in a game like this. But we’re certainly not taking Ireland for granted.”
The defeat in the World Cup, when Kevin O’Brien scored 113, reaching three figures off only 50 balls, changed the course of Irish cricket and they are now credible opponents. Ireland tied a match with Pakistan in Dublin in May and narrowly lost the second by two wickets.
“I think all teams in world cricket know that when they play us they are going to get a very tough game so gone are the days when teams turn up in Dublin or Belfast and are here for a jolly,” O’Brien said.
Life has changed for O’Brien, who 10 days ago was playing for Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel in the Caribbean Premier League Twenty20.
“On the field life has changed a lot but it [World Cup innings] was a long time ago now, it was 2½ years ago and I can’t really be living off it for the rest of my life, so I need to keep improving. If I can get another innings that is as half as good tomorrow then it will be very special.”
England (possible): M A Carberry, J W A Taylor, E J G Morgan (capt), G S Ballance, R S Bopara, B A Stokes, J C Buttler, J Overton, J C Tredwell, S T Finn, W B Rankin.
Ireland (possible): W T S Porterfield (capt), P R Stirling, E C Joyce, N? J ?O’Brien, G C Wilson, K??J O’Brien, A R White, M C Sorensen, D T Johnston, T J Murtagh, G H Dockrell.
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