After winning his third successive toss, Stirling could only watch at the non-striker’s end as his hopes of becoming the first Ireland captain to win a series in one of the hardest countries to tour all but vanished in the space of five overs.

The skipper got his side off to what has become their customary good start, adding 38 with Tim Tector and despite the latter being bowled for 17, the ball after hitting a straight six, a score of 50-1 after five overs was impressive on a tired pitch.

The next handful of overs proved decisive, though, as the Boys in Green stalled to the tune of 16 runs and the loss of three wickets: Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher.

Stirling ended a sequence of seven overs without a boundary by crunching a straight drive, but then holed out to deep sq

See Full Page