Jacks and Hain shine as rejigged England clinch ODI against Ireland | England cricket team

Figures of three for 66 may not immediately leap off the page but for George Scrimshaw, one of four debutants in a second-string England side that defeated Ireland at Trent Bridge, that wickets column will have meant the world.

Presented with his cap before play by Dominic Cork, the last Derbyshire cricketer to represent England, the wiry 25-year-old looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him after a nightmare start to his first bowl in one-day international cricket.

Just 3.5 overs into Ireland’s pursuit of 335 to win – a target set up by a fiery 94 from Will Jacks and 89 from Sam Hain, another newbie – Scrimshaw had alarmingly sent down six no-balls and a wide, and had shipped 35 runs from 11 legal deliveries. The cricket-loving public in Nottingham are too discerning to wish ill on a cricketer from the other end of Brian Clough Way but they, like him, were nevertheless fearing the worst.

And then it came, a maiden wicket for England as Andy Balbirnie poked at a ball outside off-stump and Ben Duckett duly hoovered up at slip. There was a sheepish look behind to the umpire, Rod Tucker, but the front foot was behind the line. Scrimshaw exhaled in relief beneath his officer-class moustache and was mobbed by a gaggle of new teammates.

This was the first incision in what became something of a procession for Zak Crawley’s England reserves. Matthew Potts immediately followed it up by persuading the dangerous Paul Stirling to chop on next ball and finished with two for 47, while Rehan Ahmed fizzed down his wrist-spin to claim standout figures of four for 54 from his 10.

Scrimshaw’s second wicket came when the chase was still live, Lorcan Tucker falling to a sparkling catch by Duckett in the ring, while his third was a case of shutting down proceedings. Craig Young and Josh Little had induced a touch of panic late on, adding 55 for the 10th wicket only for the latter to pick out long-on with 20 balls remaining.

It made for a slightly sloppy end to an otherwise dominant performance from England. But then with its short boundaries and flat pitch, Trent Bridge remains a tricky ground on which to defend. As such, Ahmed’s figures could be considered a triumph, as could those of the debutant Tom Hartley, who conceded only 48 from 10 overs of wily left-arm spin.

After the abandonment at Headingley in midweek, Ireland will need that late flourish to come earlier if they are to square this late-summer series in Bristol on Tuesday. It may take a few more performances like that of George Dockrell, too, the all-rounder claiming three wickets in England’s 334 for eight and offering a punchy 43 with the bat.

Dockrell had launched a couple of sixes as wickets tumbled at the other end but fell attempting a third off Ahmed. Back on the ground he once called home, Leicestershire’s 19-year-old leg-spinner performed a role not dissimilar to Adil Rashid, his googly forever planting the seed of doubt and producing one beauty to rattle Andy McBrine’s stumps.

The pyrotechnics came chiefly from Jacks, a player who is likely to be placed on standby during the senior side’s impending World Cup campaign. Phil Salt fell for a breezy 28 and Crawley made it two in the over for Craig Young when trapped lbw for a duck, but Jacks positively purred from opener.

It wasn’t just the four sixes Jacks launched into the crowd that caught the eye either, the right-hander initially threading his boundaries square as Ireland struggled to locate the right length. There was a frictionless fourth-wicket stand of 102 with Duckett, who made 48 from 49 balls, and though disappointment followed when holing out off Dockrell six short of a maiden century, England will have noted his disregard for the milestone.

They will also have appreciated Hain’s first outing, walking out at 153 for three in the 24th over and only falling in the last when looking to truly ignite the afterburners. Hain has spent five years in the Lions waiting for this opportunity and though scratchy at first, he soon opened up and struck eight fours on his Hundred home ground.

Hain was also aided here by Brydon Carse, who was boldly placed at No 7 and arrived at 235 for five after Surrey’s Jamie Smith fell for nine on debut. The pair added a precious 63-run partnership, Carse holding his own for 32 and later chipping in with the ball when a lively 41 by Barry McCarthy from No 9 was ended with a pinpoint yorker.

Like Jacks and Duckett, Carse will be following events in India closely.