England about to wrap up 4-day test in 3 against Ireland at Lord's

England declared with a lead of 352 runs and Ireland lost three wickets in its bid to delay impending defeat in the one-off test at Lord's on day two Friday.

England seamer Josh Tongue, on debut, took his first three test wickets and an uncredited fourth when James McCollum retired hurt. This four-day test should be over in three.

Ireland was 97-3 at stumps, 255 runs behind after England blasted 524-4 at a run rate of 6.33, declaring after tea.

The call came when Ollie Pope was out for 205, his maiden double century. Ben Duckett drove the morning session and made 182 at better than run a ball, and Joe Root added a crisp 56.

After the lashing from England's top order on a good batting pitch, Ireland struggled to dig in.

Tongue, who threatened in the first innings without success, trapped opener Peter Moor lbw for 11 with his first ball of the new innings. His sixth ball dismissed captain Andy Balbirnie for 2. In Tongue's second over, McCollum shaped to pull but twisted his right ankle badly and collapsed. He retired on 12 and was taken to hospital.

Paul Stirling glanced Tongue to a leg-side catch on 15 and Ireland was 63-3. Harry Tector, 33 not out, and Lorcan Tucker, on 21, batted out the last 10 overs.

Their hardship contrasted sharply with England's wilful and successful boldness.

England started the day on 152-1, trailing Ireland by just 20 runs.

Duckett, on 60, blew to a chanceless second test hundred off 106 balls and scored 101 runs in the morning session. In the process, he eclipsed Don Bradman for the fastest to 150 in a test at Lord's. Duckett did it in a run a ball. He went on to lunch on 161.

Pope moved from 29 overnight to 97 at lunch.

Pope didn't take long to register his fourth test century from 126 balls, but then Duckett was out for 182 in the same over that Ireland received a replacement ball. Duckett took a cut at Graham Hume and dragged on.

Duckett's 182 came from 178 balls, not long after he slog-swept the first six of the match. He also hit 24 boundaries and walked off to a standing ovation.

Duckett and Pope combined for 252 runs in 43.2 overs.

Pope was joined by Root, and they were quick to find their stride.

A driven boundary back past Curtis Campher took Pope past 150 in 166 balls, tying Bradman's record from the 1930 Ashes for the fastest 150 in a Lord's test.

Pope also matched Duckett's feat in scoring 100 runs in a session to be 197 at tea.

England scored 178 runs between lunch and tea at an average of 6.85.

Root was 52 not out, and reached 11,000 test runs, ranking 11th on the all-time list.

He was out for 56 off 59, three balls into the last session, bowled after advancing at offspinner Andy McBrine.

Two overs later, Pope smashed McBrine for a six over his head and earned the fastest double century in England, from 207 balls. Pope was stumped off the next ball, bringing on the declaration.