Orla Prendergast top-scored with 76 as Ireland gave England a bit of a scare before succumbing to a Kate Cross inspired display.

The stand-in England captain was to the fore as they prevailed by four wickets at a sun-drenched Stormont.

Ireland lost Una Raymond-Hoey and skipper Gaby Lewis cheaply, but they got back on track thanks to Pembroke all-rounder Prendergast's half century (8 fours, 1 six), sharing stands of 53 with Amy Hunter (37) and 77 with Leah Paul (33).

At 151 for 3 in the 31st over Ireland would have been hoping for a total in excess of 270, but the dismissal of Prendergast saw the wheels come off - Cross taking her best ODI figures of 6 for 30 as seven wickets fell for 59.

A total of 210 was well short of what Ed Joyce's young squad would have envisaged, but to their credit they kept chipping away with Prendergast (2-27) making early inroads.

Holly Armitage (44) and Paige Scholfield (31) got England on top, but wickets kept falling in twos and at 156 for 6, Ireland sensed an opportunity in a line-up featuring five debutants.

However, Cross closed the door firmly, hitting an unbeaten 38, as she and Bess Heath (26*) clinched victory with an unbroken 7th wicket stand of 55 in 46 balls.

The teams meet again in the second ODI on Monday at the same venue.