DUBLIN – Opener Andy Balbirnie and pacer Barry McCarthy rocked West Indies in the opening One Day International to set up Ireland’s comfortable 124-run victory at Clontarf in Ireland on Wednesday.
Player-of-the-Match Balbirnie cracked his ninth ODI century to help propel the home side to 303 for six off their 50 overs after they were sent in to bat by the visitors.
McCarthy then ran through the Windies’ top order to derail their run chase, and they were eventually bowled out for 179 in 34.1 overs despite a fighting half century from Roston Chase.
Ireland was given a perfect start by Balbirnie and captain Paul Stirling, who scored a half century, with the pair putting on 109 runs in their opening partnership.
They started cautiously, gathering just 21 runs from the first six overs, but by the end of the 10th over they had progressed to 54-0 with little alarm.
Stirling brought up a significant milestone seven overs later, when he guided left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie down to long on for a single to bring up his 10 000th international run in all formats.
He then romped to his 32nd ODI half century off 61 balls by dispatching Motie to the backward point boundary, as Ireland cruised to 108-0.
But one run later Chase got the breakthrough by having Stirling caught at deep backward square for 54 off 64 balls, inclusive of six fours and two sixes.
Balbirnie brought up his half century off 88 balls soon after and together with debutant Cade Carmichael added 42 runs for the second wicket.
Carmichael looked good for his 16 before he nicked pacer Matthew Forde behind to the wicketkeeper to leave Ireland 151-2 in the 30th over.
His dismissal brought Harry Tector to the crease, and together with Balbirnie they frustrated the West Indies bowlers in a 98-run partnership for the third wicket.
During that time, Balbirnie reached three figures off 131 balls with a single off fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, much to the delight of the large crowd on hand.
Joseph led a West Indies fightback in the latter stages by having Balbirnie caught at deep extra cover for 112 after facing 138 balls to leave Ireland 249 for three.
He struck nine fours and four sixes in his over two-and-a-half-hour innings.
His departure helped the West Indies restrict Ireland, even though Tector scored 56 from 51 balls, as they only managed 38 runs from the last five overs, while losing three wickets.
Forde was the Windies’ best bowler with 3-68 while Alzarri Joseph took 2-51.
The West Indies’ run chase was over almost as soon as it began with McCarthy tearing through the top order.
With just three runs on the board Evin Lewis was run out by a direct throw at the non-striker’s end by Tector,
McCarthy followed up by having Keacy Carty caught at mid on for six, Brandon King caught behind for 19 and then trapped Amir Jangoo plumb in front for a two-ball duck, as West Indies slumped to 29 for four.
Skipper Shai Hope was then bowled by an absolute beauty from pacer Thomas Mayes for two to leave the innings in tatters at 31 for five.
Justin Greaves and Roston Chase put on 40 runs to give hope of a possible fightback, until the former was caught at slip for 35 off the bowling of pacer Josh Little.
West Indies then had their best partnership, a 98-run stand between Chase and Matthew Forde, as they tried to revive the chase.
Chase got to his sixth ODI half century by sweeping spinner Andy McBrine to the boundary for four, but was deceived by an arm ball by spinner George Dockrell to be bowled for 55 off 76 balls with four fours and two sixes.
The end came swiftly thereafter, with Dockrell cleaning up the tail by accounting for the wickets of Alzarri Joseph for a duck and Gudakesh Motie for eight, while McCarthy dismissed Forde for 38.
McCarthy finished with figures of 4-32 while Dockrell ended with 3-21.
CMC
Scores
IRELAND 303-6 in 50 overs (Andy Balbirnie 112, Harry Tector 56, Paul Stirling 54, Lorcan Tucker 30, Cade Carmichael 16; Matthew Forde 3-68, Alzarri Joseph 2-51).
WEST INDIES 179 in 34.1 overs (Roston Chase 55, Matthew Forde 38, Justin Greaves 35, Brandon King 19; Barry McCarthy 4-32, George Dockrell 3-21).
Ireland won by 124 runs.
