Maia Bouchier’s century led England to their highest successful ODI run-chase to defeat Ireland by six wickets in the opening match of their three-game series in Leicester.

Bouchier initially played a supporting role to Sophia Dunkley’s 61-ball 73. But, after the duo had shared a 143-run opening stand off just 118 balls to set the foundations for England, Bouchier finished with an emphatic 104 off 95.

It was England’s older hands who saved the hosts after Ireland had posted an impressive 281 for 5 on a good batting track, with fifties to captain Gaby Lewis, Amy Hunter and Rebecca Stokell. But while Bouchier, Dunkley and Alice Capsey share more than 100 ODIs between them, in the context of the hosts’ developmental approach to this series, Bouchier’s performance was most on point.

On the eve of this first match, stand-in skipper Charlie Dean had emphasised the opportunities for players to establish themselves as top selection choices with five key players missing from the squad. Bouchier, who since the 2025 Ashes has only played a bit-part for her country, got the message and sent one right back.

With Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight retired and Amy Jones rested for this series, England entered this match with a new top order, Dunkley promoted to open alongside Bouchier and Jodi Grewcock at No. 3, playing just her third international.

The new opening pair made light work of their task early on as Ireland’s bowlers struggled to make any impact, as England’s attack had earlier.

Bouchier crashed four fours in a row off Jane Maguire and, after 10 overs, they were 72 without loss, compared to Ireland’s 51 for 1.

Dunkley reached fifty first, off 40 balls with 10 fours, including the one that brought up the mark, crashed through the covers off Kia McCartney. Bouchier reached her half-century off 63.

Dunkley survived a stumping attempt while trying to drive legpsinner Cara Murray but she fell next ball, smashing one back for a sharp return catch.

Murray was finding appreciable turn and she bowled left-hander Grewcock through the gate with one that pitched on middle and hit the top of leg stump.

Bouchier raised her ton off 91 balls, driving McCartney through the covers for her 11th four. But she fell moments later, picking out Orla Prendergast at long-on off the bowling of Arlene Kelly.

That left Capsey to combine with another first-choice England player in Freya Kemp to take their side to the brink of victory with a 54-run partnership for the fourth wicket. With one shot needed for victort, Kemp holed out for a typically quickfire 36 off 22 balls, including four consecutive boundaries off Arlene Kelly, before Capsey struck the winning four to remain unbeaten on 41.

Earlier, the hosts had battled to crack a century stand for the second wicket between Hunter and Lewis, before Stokell fired off a 43-ball fifty.

Stand-in wicketkeeper Capsey, taking the gloves for Jones, took an excellent catch dive-rolling to her right to remove Alice Tector off an edge from Issy Wong to put Ireland at 13 for 1 in the fifth over.

But then Hunter and Lewis settled into their stubborn stand worth 136 runs off 152 balls, negating the hosts’ three-pronged spin attack with ease and showing little mercy to the seamers either.

The duo reached half-centuries within a few strokes of one another, Hunter first off 67 balls with a swept four over midwicket followed by a leg-side single off Mady Villiers, the off-spinner playing her first white-ball international in two years. Lewis raised her fifty off 66 balls by pulling a short ball from Lauren Filer for four.

Wong returned to the attack in the 30th over and struck with her third ball back, a fuller one which jagged in through the gate and clattered into Lewis’s stumps to break their union.

Tilly Corteen-Coleman was expensive in her fifth match for England, coming after she had warmed the bench in the shadow of fellow left-arm spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith during the T20 World Cup.

With Corteen-Coleman having conceded 53 runs off seven wicketless overs, England skipper Dean deployed her offspin to prise out Hunter, luring her down the pitch with one that slid past the inside edge and turned onto leg stump.

Stokell had raced to 46 off 37 balls when and was still on the cusp of her half-century when she overturned an lbw dismissal to Dean, with replays showing the ball pitched outside leg stump. Having already celebrated her fifty for a four that replays showed had actually come off her helmet, she brought up the milestone with a single back over the bowler’s head off Dean. who then bowled Leah Paul next ball to claim her second wicket.

Scores:
England Women  283 for 4 in 38.1 overs  (Maia Bouchier 104, Sophia Dunkley 73, Alice Capsey 41*; Cara Murray 3-58) beat Ireland Women  281 for 5 in 50 overs (Gaby Lewis 69, Amy Hunter 62, Rebecca Stokell 54*; Issy Wong 2-57, Charlie Dean 2-44) by six wickets

[Cricinfo]