England vs Ireland 2020: Joshua Little handed demerit point for Jonny Bairstow send-off

Joshua Little handed demerit point: The Irish pacer was witnessed giving a send-off to England wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow.

Ireland pacer Joshua Little has been fined with a demerit point for his verbal send-off to Ireland wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow during the second ODI of the ongoing Ireland’s tour of England in Southampton.

Bairstow, who scored a match-winning 82 (41) to register the joint-fastest ODI half-century by an English batsman, was the first of Little’s three wickets in his 10-over spell at the Ageas Bowl.

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Considering how Bairstow took on the Irish bowlers by scoring 14 fours and a couple of sixes in a 213-run chase, dismissing him saw Little in an exulting state.

Joshua Little handed demerit point

Having breached a Level One offence of ICC’s Code of Conduct, Little was charged for “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match”.

Little, 20, accepted the charges without contesting the verdict. The rookie left-arm bowler will have to be careful in the future for four such points in a two-year period will make him serve a ban at the highest level.

In five ODIs so far, Little has picked eight wickets at an average of 40.25, an economy rate of 7 and a strike rate of 34.5. With Brian McCarthy ruled out of the series, Little is highly likely to play in the third ODI.

Having won both the matches, England have gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. While the hosts would be looking to give more opportunities to their reserves, Ireland would be keen to register a victory against England. Both teams will now face each other in the third ODI tomorrow (Tuesday) at the same venue.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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