BLOWN AWAY!

Windies blitzed by brilliant Ireland

A fine all-round performance by Ireland ensured an emphatic victory over the West Indies in the opening match of the three-match one-day international series at Clontarf.

The final margin of 124 runs was a fair summary of the game in which Ireland outplayed their guests in all areas and gave them a fourth win on the bounce against the former Calypso Kings.

There was an 11th international century for Andrew Balbirnie, fifties for Harry Tector and Paul Stirling, with the captain also becoming the first Irishman to pass 10,000 runs for his country in Test, T20 and ODIs.

With the ball, Barry McCarthy bowled with verve and skill to record 4-32, his best bowling on home turf, and George Dockrell was given a rare chance with the ball and showed he still has it breaking the West Indian resistance with 3-21, his best bowling for Ireland since 2017, 163 games ago.

And there were signs that all three debutants could be at home at this level. Cade Carmichael settled quickly and played some nice shots before nicking off, while Tom Mayes and Liam McCarthy were tight and accurate, with Mayes picking up the prize wicket of Shai Hope.

The Windies captain won the toss and opted to bowl, reckoning the overnight rain would present some demons. Alzarri Joseph and Matthew Forde attacked the stumps from the off but after a shaky couple of overs Balbirnie and Stirling settled in and scored freely.

They raised the century stand in the 21st over but Stirling fell soon after, trying to lift Roston Chase’s first ball over the square leg boundary but finding the fielder.

Carmichael went for 16, replaced by Harry Tector who raced to 40 with some superb drives, but went back into his shell until he was dismissed for 56.

Man of the match Balbirnie batted on in that assured way of his to 112, Stirling noting after the game that ‘He played a typical Balbirnie innings; saw off the new ball and batted throughout the innings.’ The Pembroke man hit four 6s and nine 4s in 138 balls faced.

Lorcan Tucker made a rapid 30 to help the score over 300, a total that still looked a little light on a pitch that was getting easier to bat on. But that didn’t account for a strangely diffident top batting order and an Irish bowling hand with something to prove. With four senior seamers missing, Barry McCarthy assumed the role of leader of the attack and revelled in the responsibility.

Tector ran out Evin Lewis early on, but McCarthy blew away the next three within two overs. And when Mayes bowled Hope, the ball nipping back to beat his defences and remove his stumps for 2, the tourists were 31-5.

Justin Greaves counterattacked to some success, hitting four fours off one Barry McCarthy over. They came either side of a catch dropped at mid-off when the bowler was already well into his celebrations.

But on 71-6 Josh Little found the edge and Stirling dived low to his right to dismiss Greaves having made 35 off 17 balls, including 7 fours.

Liam McCarthy stepped up for his debut having made a big name for himself as the fastest bowler in Leinster cricket. He looked up to the mark too, missing out on a maiden wicket in his second over when a diving chance was spilled far to the keeper’s left.

With the big crowd sizzling in the sun — and rehydrating diligently in the bars — there then followed an irritating partnership of 98 between Chase (55) and Matthew Forde (38).

Stirling chopped and changed his bowlers before finally calling up Dockrell, who hadn’t bowled his full quota in an ODI in six years. His first five balls cost 13 but off the last ball Chase played down the wrong line and was bowled.

Joseph edged the first ball of the next over onto his stumps, before Gudakesh Motie found Mayes in the deep and McCarthy returned to finish off proceedings with more than 15 overs to spare.

It gave Ireland victory by 124 runs – they have only beaten Canada and the UAE by more – and should encourage a few more spectators to Castle Avenue on Friday and Sunday when the series continues.

‘Everything went as we spoke,’ said Stirling. ‘We’re absolutely delighted. (The new caps) have come in and not looked out of place, a great thing for Irish cricket to see the depth of the talent.’

Hope said: ‘We just need to set the tone from the start. We know the firepower we have with quality players coming in at the back end. This series isn’t over yet —we’ll take this blow since they outplayed us.’

÷ ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL (Clontarf): Ireland 303-6 (50 overs; A Balbirnie 112, H Tector 56, P Stirling 54, M Forde 3-68) beat West Indies 179 (34.1 overs; R Chase 55, B McCarthy 4-32, G Dockrell 3-21) by 124 runs.