Ireland beat England in chaotic last-ball thriller

Third ODI, Belfast

England 153 (20.5 overs): Beaumont 52 (42); A Maguire 5-19

Ireland 155-7 (22 overs): Lewis 72 (56); Villiers 3-30

Ireland won by three wickets (DLS method)

Scorecard

Ireland overcame a chaotic batting collapse to earn a consolation three-wicket victory in the rain-affected third and final one-day international, their first win over England in the format since 2001.

With eight needed from the final over, Ireland lost three wickets in three balls to leave four runs required from the last ball, from which Alana Dalzell struck the winning boundary.

They were cruising to their target of 155 from 22 overs, needing 18 from the final three with eight wickets in hand, before Lauren Filer took two wickets in the 19th over to get England back in the hunt.

Then the drama unfolded in the final over bowled by spinner Mady Villiers, with Una Raymond-Hoey run out before Alice Tector and Jane Maguire both fell for first-ball ducks.

But Dalzell, coming in at number nine, held her nerve and smacked her first ball down the ground, where it was misjudged by Hollie Armitage at long-on and trickled over the ropes to give Ireland their historic win.

After heavy morning rain, the match was reduced to 22 overs a side and England started positively with opener Tammy Beaumont continuing her fine form with 52 from 42 balls.

But a youthful England side were left to rue a collapse of six wickets for 46 runs, slipping from 107-3 to 153 all out as spinner Aimee Maguire ripped through the middle and lower order with her career-best 5-19.

Despite the nervous finish that was indicative of Ireland's inexperience, it was an impressive response with both bat and ball after being bowled out for 45 just two days ago.

The result means England win the ODI series 2-1, with two T20s starting on Saturday in Clontarf, Dublin.

With England's first-choice squad - bar Bess Heath and Freya Kemp - resting before the T20 World Cup which starts in October, the Ireland series is a look to the future with several new faces involved and six debutants featuring across the three matches so far.

Beaumont has provided some much-needed experience in the batting order and followed her record-breaking 150 on Monday with a more attacking half-century from 39 balls to close out a successful series.

Beaumont has not featured in England's T20 side for a few years, aside from the New Zealand series in March when some frontline players were absent at the Women's Premier League.

Beaumont's fellow opener Emma Lamb has had a tough series with 33 runs in three innings, but was perhaps unlucky in having to contend with several delays and interruptions to the innings.

On a slow pitch, England's middle to lower order gave in to temptation to Aimee Maguire's loopy spin, with Paige Scholfield swiping across the line to be bowled for 21, Freya Kemp was stumped for three and Villiers was caught in the deep.

Both Kate Cross and Filer were then bowled as England failed to bat their overs, a steep learning curve for the side's next generation as they paid the price for a one-dimensional approach.

Much has been made of England's youth and inexperience as they surged to a 2-0 lead in the series, but Ireland's full-strength side is also going through its own transition.

Lewis' knock of 72 from 56 balls was phenomenal, batting with supreme confidence and skill to score all around the ground, which was particularly impressive after scores of seven and one in her previous outings.

She found perfect company in 18-year-old Amy Hunter at the top of the order, who added a run-a-ball 18 while Leah Paul contributed a valuable 22.

There was a rare failure for star all-rounder Orla Prendergast, also only 22, who was lbw to Villiers for 11, but Ireland will take a huge amount of pride that they won without her runs, even if they did make hard work of it eventually.

Once Lewis and Paul fell in quick succession to the brilliant Filer, who bowled with often unplayable pace and hostility, there was always the possibility Ireland's middle and lower order would fold under the pressure.

They did, with Raymond-Hoey inexplicably run out after just jogging through for a second run, while Tector - who is only 16 - and 21-year-old Jane Maguire both appeared nervous and uncertain as they were bowled first ball.

The game looked certain to be England's, and while it was Armitage's mistake that proved crucial, Dalzell displayed promising confidence to execute the winning boundary.

England were, by their high standards in the series so far, quite sloppy - they bowled 14 wides and struggled without Cross' usual metronomic accuracy, with the skipper conceding 31 from her three overs.

England captain Kate Cross: "It's been three good games of cricket but to go down to the wire like that, our girls did really well to get back into the game. Credit to Ireland, I thought they were the better side today."

Ireland captain Gaby Lewis: "We just tried to keep the camp in positive spirits [after Monday's defeat]. Cricket's hard sometimes and obviously playing against top-quality nations, these kind of defeats are going to happen, but I think it's the way we can bounce back and I think we did that brilliantly today. Credit to the girls, I couldn't ask for more.

"I'm delighted to be in the runs, but kudos the girls, they were brilliant today. We're heading in the right direction which is the important thing."