T20 World Cup: Irish eyes are smiling but it's no laughing matter for England in Melbourne

England may now have to beat Australia in Melbourne on Friday to stay in a tournament in which they were strongly fancied to go all the way.

That is looking less likely now – although by no means impossible – after Ireland beat them by five runs on the DLS method for deciding weather-hit matches, scoring 157 before restricting their opponents to 105-5.

England were out-batted and out-bowled – although not out-fielded – as the Irish secured a famous win beneath weeping Melbourne skies, a sharp reminder (incoming cliche alert) that anybody can beat anybody in T20 cricket.

“Friday is massive,” averred Jos Buttler, the England captain, who looked suitably crestfallen after the match.

“This result has put a lot of pressure on us but it’s as big as it can get now – Australia v England at the MCG.”

This was Ireland’s first time at the MCG – another reminder of the gulf (historically at least) between these sides.

Despite losing the powerful Paul Stirling early in the piece, after Buttler chose to field with bad weather around, Ireland thumped 59 in the six-over powerplay and were 92-1 at the halfway stage, a platform which rendered the addition of just 65 more runs in the “back ten” actually disappointing.

Andy Balbirnie, the Ireland captain, top-scored with 62 from 47 balls with five fours and two sixes, sharing 82 for the second wicket with Lorcan Tucker, the wicketkeeper, who struck 34 from 27. In conditions conducive to conventional seam, supposedly their bread-and-butter, England got suckered into bowling too short and were clinically exposed by the Irish top-three.

That England were indebted to three overs of leg-spin from Liam Livingstone (3-17) said it all, Mark Wood capturing 3-34 from his four overs. Adil Rashid (0-24 from four) went wicketless for the fourth successive match, including the warm-ups, while Sam Curran (2-21 from three) came back down to earth after the opening game win over Afghanistan, when he had become the first Englishman to snare five wickets in a T20 international.

Inevitably, charges of complacency are levied whenever a “minnow” prevails over a big fish, but the simple fact was that Ireland played better and with more nous, reprising their famous victory against England at the 50-over World Cup in Bangalore in 2011.

Any side can have an off-day and here was England’s, the malaise continuing into a run-chase that could not have begun more unpromisingly when Buttler was caught behind driving at the second ball – well, on second thoughts, he could have been out first ball.

When Alex Hales perished in the third over, skying a pull, and Ben Stokes in the sixth, bowled by one that came back, England were 29-3 and firmly up against it. Buttler and Hales were dismissed by Josh Little, a bustling 22-year-old left-arm seamer from Dublin, while England need a lot more from Stokes at No 4.

Dawid Malan top-scored with 35, the Yorkshire batsman never at his best but fighting hard during a 37-ball innings that contained two fours, a testament to how well Ireland’s seamers, in contrast, maximised conditions.

Harry Brook, his Yorkshire team-mate, chipped in with 18 from 21 but missed out on a chance to play a match -winning knock, falling to a catch at deep mid-wicket on Australian boundaries that are not quite as easy to clear as the ones back home.

England were 86-5 at the start of the 14th over when Malan departed, top-edging a pull to deep third-man, on a day when Ireland’s catching was not at its best.

But although Moeen Ali threatened to get his side out of jail, crashing an unbeaten 24 from 12 balls with three fours and a six, the heavens opened again on a day when showers both delayed the start and then lingered annoyingly like a summer cold.

It would take a lot more than a bit of rain to dampen the spirits of the Irish, who could be seen dancing and applauding in the stands when the match was called off. Balbirnie and his players went over to share in the joy, the captain branding it Ireland’s finest T20 win.

“In T20 cricket it’s probably the best (win ever),” he said. “I’ve played in this team for a number of years and we’ve never had a result like this.

“We came into this round knowing any win we got would be a huge achievement and we’ve beaten the best T20 team there is in my opinion. I looked through their team this morning, looking at match-ups, and part of me was struggling to understand how we could compete with them if they showed up.”

Unfortunately for England, they didn’t show up, but now they must against Australia, followed by games against New Zealand in Brisbane on Tuesday and against Sri Lanka in Sydney on Saturday week.