England's Paul Collingwood, who scored 90 not out, goes down on his knee and hits a delivery on the on-side during the ICC WI Cricket World Cup match against Ireland at the Guyana National Stadium yesterday. - Dellmar

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP):

Another significant middle-order innings from Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff's best all-round performance of this World Cup helped England start its Super Eight campaign with a 48-run win over Ireland yesterday.

Collingwood's 90 runs from 82 balls and Flintoff's 43 off 48 lifted England to 266 for seven after a subdued start. Flintoff returned to take four wickets as Ireland were bowled out for 218 in the 49th over.

Ireland started as if it only had everything to gain. Paceman Boyd Rankin bowled former teammate Ed Joyce with his first ball for one and removed Michael Vaughan for six to have England in trouble at 23-2.

Kevin Pietersen (48) and Ian Bell (31) steadied the innings before Collingwood and Flintoff combined in an 81-run fifth-wicket stand that gave England control.

Collingwood belted three sixes and eight boundaries in his second half century of the tournament before he was run out in the last over. With Collingwood in charge, England piled on 65 runs in its last five overs.

Ireland's reply never gathered momentum after losing wickets with the total at six and 11 despite a defiant 63 from Niall O'Brien and a 61-run third-wicket stand he shared with opener William Porterfield (31).

O'Brien was stumped attempting to advance the run rate against Vaughan and without addition to the total, his brother Kevin O'Brien was adjudged lbw to Monty Panesar for 12.

A late cameo from skipper Trent Johnston of 27 from 21 balls contained two clouted sixes and moved the score from 139-6 to 197-7 before he was clean bowled by Flintoff.

Flintoff had Andrew White (38) trapped lbw in the dying overs and picked off two tailenders to finish with 4-43. Panesar returned 2-31 in conditions suited to slow bowling.

SCORES

England Innings

Michael Vaughan c Niall O'Brien b Rankin6 Ed Joyce b Rankin 1 Ian Bell c Niall O'Brien b Kevin O'Brien 31 Kevin Pietersen c Porterfield b McCallan 48 Paul Collingwood run out 90 Andrew Flintoff b Johnston 43 Paul Nixon c Morgan b Botha 19 Ravi Bopara not out 10 Sajid Mahmood not out 0 Extras: (2lb, 3nb, 13w) 18 TOTAL: (for seven wickets) 266

Overs: 50.

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-23, 3-89, 4-113, 5-194, 6-245, 7-258.

Did not bat: James Anderson, Monty Panesar.

Bowling: David Langford-Smith 7-0-38-0 (3nb, 3w), Boyd Rankin 7-1-28-2 (4w), Trent Johnston 10-0-70-1, Andre Botha 10-1-56-1, Kevin O'Brien 4-0-26-1 (2w), Kyle McCallan 10-0-38-1 (4w), Andrew White 2-0-8-0.

Ireland Innings

William Porterfield c Bell b Flintoff 31 Jeremy Bray c Bopara b Anderson 0 Eoin Morgan run out (Mahmood) 2 Niall O'Brien st Nixon b Vaughan 63 Andre Botha c Flintoff b Panesar 18 Kevin O'Brien lbw b Panesar 12 Trent Johnston b Flintoff 27 Andrew White c Nixon b Collingwood 38 Kyle McCallan b Flintoff 5 David Langford-Smith lbw b Flintoff 1 Boyd Rankin not out 4 Extras: (3lb, 9w, 5nb) 17
TOTAL (all out) 218

Overs: 48.1.

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-11, 3-72, 4-116, 5-139, 6-139, 7-197, 8-209-8, 9-210, 10-218.

Bowling: James Anderson 7-1-35-1 (4w), Sajid Mahmood 8-2-34-0 (1nb, 1w), Andrew Flintoff 8.1-1-43-4 (4nb), Paul Collingwood 6-0-38-1 (1w), Monty Panesar 10-1-31-2, Michael Vaughan 9-0-34-1 (3w).

Result: England won by 48 runs.

Toss: England.

Umpires: Billy Doctrove, West Indies, and Simon Taufel, Australia.

TV Umpire: Daryl Harper, Australia.

ICC Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle, Sri Lanka.