Ireland won its first bilateral One Day International series against a Test-playing nation other than Zimbabwe by beating the West Indies in a thrilling 3rd One Day International at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica yesterday to clinch the series 2-1.
The star of the show was Ireland’s all-rounder, Andy McBrine whose 4-28 first restricted the West Indies to 212 off 44.4 overs. McBrine then made a patient 59 off 100 balls to guide Ireland’s tense chase.
There were contributions from Harry Tector, who hit 52 off 76 balls, and stand-in captain, Paul Stirling with 38 off 44 balls.
At one stage, Ireland were cruising at 152-2, but then slumped to 208-8 after medium pacer, Odean Smith triggered a collapse, with off-spinner, Roston Chase and left-arm, leg-spinner, Akeal Hosein making big strikes.
Smith had McBrine caught behind to start the slump. Then Chase dismissed Neil Rock, Curtis Campher and Tector in three of his next four overs as Ireland suddenly encountered problems.
Ireland were 190-5 and slipped further when Hosein dismissed Gareth Delany for 10 off 5 deliveries when the batter danced down the pitch but ended up ballooning the ball to point. Then George Dockrell nicked to Jason Holder at slip.
Although as many as seven overs remained to get the required five runs, Ireland had just two wickets in hand. But the pair of Mark Adair and Craig Young safely negotiated Chase’s final over before Young hit the winning boundary off Romario Shepherd.
Earlier, Shai Hope dominated a 72-run opening stand for the West Indies. He made 53 from only 39 balls in an unusual display of hitting which was far removed from the sedate starts he is known to provide. But once Young got Hope’s wicket as he hooked to fine leg, the West Indies started losing their way. 72 without loss in the 11th over soon became 119 for 7 by the 28th over.
McBrine got three of the seven wickets to fall after Young also sent back Hope’s opening partner Justin Greaves. He first had Nicholas Pooran leg before after it first seemed like Pooran got an inside edge on to his pads before being caught at slip, and followed that up by trapping Shamarh Brooks in front of the stumps. But the key wicket came in the 20th over, when Kieron Pollard inside-edge to leg slip.
The seven quick wickets had left it to Holder and Hosein to rebuild, which they did by adding 63 runs for the eighth wicket before Delany ran Holder out. Smith then hit a four and two sixes in an unbeaten 20 off 10 deliveries, but McBrine and Young, who finished with 3-43, wrapped up the West Indies tail to limit them to 212.
McBrine showed the way in the run chase, eventually being chosen the Player of the Match as well as the Player of the Series, having scored 128 runs and taken ten wickets in the three matches.
The final scores: The West Indies 212 off 44.4 overs, Ireland 214-8 off 44.5 overs.
The win pushed Ireland up to No. 3 on the points table of the World Cup Super League, which is the pathway for direct qualification for the 2023 ICC One Day International Cricket World Cup in India.
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