Ton-up Duckett keeps England on top against Ireland

Hundred up – England’s Ben Duckett celebrates his century in the lone Test against Ireland at Lord’s

Ben Duckett marked his first Test innings on home soil with a run-a-ball 150 at Lord’s on Friday as England piled on the runs in their Ashes warm-up against Ireland.

England were 325-1, a lead of 153 runs, at lunch on the second day of four.

Duckett was a Test-best 161 not out — more than Ireland had managed combined in their first-innings 152.

England vice-captain Ollie Pope was in sight of a hundred on 97 not out.

The pair put on 173 runs in just 29 overs during Friday’s morning session after England resumed on 152-1.

Opening batsman Duckett went to 150 in exactly 150 balls including 20 fours.

The 28-year-old left-hander also scored over a hundred runs in Friday’s morning session having been 60 not out overnight.

England’s second-wicket duo had now shared an unbroken stand of 216 after coming together at 109-1 on Thursday after Zak Crawley’s exit for 56.

Ireland, in just their seventh Test and looking for a first win at this level, lacked the genuine pace to trouble Duckett and Pope on a good pitch.

England started Friday just 20 runs behind, after Stuart Broad had taken 5-51 on Thursday — the veteran paceman’s 20th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

It wasn’t long before England overhauled Ireland’s total, with Duckett’s straight-driven four off medium-pacer Graham Hume taking the hosts into the lead.

On a sunny day ideal for batting, Duckett went into the 90s with an extra-cover driven four off Mark Adair before a leg-glanced boundary off the same bowler brought up a century stand with Pope in a mere 112 balls.

Duckett went to his second hundred in 10 Tests with a single through midwicket off debutant Fionn Hand.

Three balls later Pope, 29 not out overnight, completed a 64-ball fifty with a single off Hand.

Pope had made 76 when he survived Hand’s appeal for lbw after an Ireland review revealed a ball that cut back sharply would have just cleared middle stump.

That was as close as Ireland came to a wicket in the session, with off-spinner Andy McBrine no more successful than the seamers.

The first Ashes Test at Edgbaston starts on June 16 but before then Australia face India in next week’s World Test Championship final at the Oval.

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