ENG v IRE: Phil Salt smashes 22-ball 50, England post fastest ODI hundred; Ben Duckett slams maiden ODI century

ENG vs IRE 3rd ODI: England batter Phil Salt on Tuesday (September 26) smashed a quickfire half-century against Ireland at the County Ground in Bristol and stole the show in a match that was abandoned due to rain.

Philip Salt - the right-handed explosive opening batter - played a sensational knock of 61 off just 28 deliveries in the third one-day international within the powerplay i.e. the first six overs of the 50-over match.

Phil Salt impresses with bat against Ireland

Salt - who is not a part of the England ICC ODI World Cup 2023 squad for India - once again showcased his big-hitting credentials in the white-ball format in the game, where a second-string English side was playing against their neighbours.

The right-handed batter - who was born in Bodelwyddan, North Wales but shifted to Barbados at an early age - took the strike bowlers from Ireland to the cleaners and notched up his third ODI half-century in just 22 deliveries. He hit a maximum to get to his half-century.

The English swashbuckler continued to remind the cricket fans of the hard-hitting West Indies batters from Barbados. It was the impact of Salt's maniac hitting that helped England breach the 100-run mark inside the first powerplay.

England's score entered the triple figures on the final delivery of the eighth over. The Zak Crawley-led side thus created history by scoring the fastest team hundred in ODI cricket history.

Phil Salt slams 22-ball ODI 50 against Ireland

Salt's knock came to an end for 61 off 28 balls in which he hit seven fours and four sixes before getting caught by Barry McCarthy off Craig Young's delivery at the final ball of the seventh over.

Having gotten to a sensational start from Salt, the other England batters continued the momentum and tormented Irish bowlers before the skies opened up in Bristol. But before the rain stopped play, Ben Duckett smashed an unbeaten 107 off 78 deliveries, including 12 fours and two sixes.

Batting in the absence of senior ODI batters, Duckett - the left-handed batter from Kent - slammed his maiden century in the 50-over format. Most of the fringe players from England got a chance to showcase their talent in the Irish series.

Rain, however, played spoilsport when the scorecard read 280 for 4 in 31 overs. After waiting for more than a couple of hours and skies not clearing, the match officials had to call off the match. England, thus, won the series 1-0 as two matches were washed out due to rain.