England chooses to bat first vs. Ireland at WCup

England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss Wednesday and chose to bat first in his team's Group B World Cup match against Ireland.

Strauss leads a team showing just one change from that which forced a dramatic tie with India on Sunday, recalling Stuart Broad in place of Ajmal Shahzad after the paceman recovered from a stomach complaint that left him bedridden.

Stuart Broad back in for England cricket world cup 2011 team

Stuart Broad recovered from his stomach upset in time to return to the England team to face Ireland in today's World Cup Group B match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Ajmal Shahzad, who stood in for Broad against India on Sunday, made way in the only change to the team that tied with the hosts at the weekend.

England won the toss and unsurprisingly chose to bat first in a match they will be expected to win comfortably.

Ireland were forced into a late change when all-rounder Andre Botha suffered a groin strain.

He was replaced by batsman Gary Wilson, joining Alex Cusack as an addition to the team which lost to Bangladesh.

Medium-pacer Cusack came in to strengthen the bowling at the expense of middle-order batsman Andrew White.

England: AJ Strauss (captain), KP Pietersen, IJL Trott, IR Bell, PD Collingwood, MJ Prior (wkt), MH Yardy, TT Bresnan, SCJ Broad, GP Swann, JM Anderson.

Ireland (from): WTS Porterfield (captain), PR Stirling, EC Joyce, GC Wilson, NJ O'Brien (wkt), KJ O'Brien, JF Mooney, DT Johnston, GH Dockrell, WB Rankin, AR Cusack.

Source:mirror.co.uk

England opts to bat against Ireland

England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and elected to bat against Ireland in their Group B match of the cricket World Cup here on Wednesday.

For England, pacer Stuart Broad is back from illness in place of Ajmal Shahzad.

In the Irish team, Gary Wilson is back in the side in place of Andre Botha.

Teams:

England: Andrew Strauss (capt), Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior (wk), Michael Yardy, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson.

Ireland: William Porterfield (capt), Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall O’Brien (wk), Alex Cusack, Kevin O’Brien, Gary Wilson, John Mooney, Trent Johnston, George Dockrell, Boyd Rankin.

Source:the hindu

England v Ireland: Cricket World Cup 2011 live- England bat against Ireland

England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and elected to bat against Ireland in a World Cup Group B match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Fast bowler Stuart Broad returned from illness and replaced fellow seamer Ajmal Shahzad in the only change to the England side that dramatically tied its previous group game with co-hosts India on Sunday.

That meant swing specialist James Anderson kept his place despite conceding 91 runs against India -- the most by an England bowler in any World Cup match.

Ireland, who lost their opener to Bangladesh by 27 runs, brought in Australia-born all-rounder Alex Cusack for Andrew White and batsman Gary Wilson came in for seamer Andre Botha, who injured his groin during the warm-up.

Ireland's Ed Joyce was playing against England for the first time since reverting to the land of his birth after his international career with England ended following the 2007 World Cup.

This was Ireland's first all-professional team, with seven players -- captain William Porterfield, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Joyce, Niall O'Brien, George Dockrell and Wilson -- all signed by English counties, while the other four were on Irish contracts.

England: Andrew Strauss (capt), Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior (wkt), Michael Yardy, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson

Ireland: William Porterfield (capt), Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall O'Brien (wkt), Alex Cusack, Kevin O'Brien, Gary Wilson, John Mooney, Trent Johnston, George Dockrell, Boyd Rankin

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Billy Bowden (NZL)

TV umpire: Marais Erasmus (RSA)

Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)

Match start: 0900GMT

Pitch conditions: This pitch is one across from the strip where India and England scored a mammoth 676 runs betwween them on Sunday. This surface had more grass on it, offering seamers on both sides hope of movement where there was none at the weekend, but still looked a good batting pitch.

Source:NDTV.com