STAND-IN captain Paul Collingwood praised England’s fight after they averted a shock one-day international defeat to Ireland in Belfast.

Ashes winners England averted a shock defeat to see off Ireland by just three runs in their one-day international in Belfast today.

ENGLAND recovered from a pedestrian start to yesterday’s opening match of the NatWest Series with Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen propelling them to a competitive total against South Africa.

ENGLAND lost a highly-charged thriller at The Brit Oval yesterday as India levelled the NatWest Series of one-day internationals by completing a huge run chase in the final over.

Winless Ireland slumped to another defeat in the Friends Provident Trophy - this time by six wickets to Middlesex – after being slayed by two former Emerald Isles internationals.