AI Simulation, IRE vs WI | Balbirnie and Stirling's lead Ireland to famous chase and 1-0 series lead against Windies

Pitch and Weather

Toss

West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first.

Lineups

IRE: Stirling(c), Balbirnie, Campher, Tector, Tucker(wk), Dockrell, McBrine, Mayes, Young, Humphreys, Little

WI: King, Athanaze, Andrew, Carty, Hope (c/ wk), Jangoo, Chase, Motie, Greaves, Alzarri Joseph, Seales

Match Report

Ireland pulled off their third successive victory in the ODI format against the West Indies on Wednesday with a clinical chase to take an early lead in the three-match series. The hosts were reared by a match-changing middle-overs spell from George Dockrell that rocked the Caribbean outfit onto their backfoots before Andy Balbirnie channelled all his experience into marshalling a famous chase for the Green and Whites.

Windies won the toss and chose to bat first, hoping Brandon King and Alick Athanaze get the series off to a decent start. The duo responded to the challenge with aplomb in difficult circumstances with the new ball swinging and seaming around as they stitched together an opening stand of 40 runs, featuring some breathtaking shotmaking from King. Curits Campher eventually handed the hosts their first breakthrough in the eighth over by dispatching Athanaze with an inducker that caught the youngtser off guard and paved the way for an Irish upsurge. Skipper Paul Stirling tried to seize the momentum by constricting run flow through his trusted spinner George Dockrell and not only did the left-armer strnaglehold their rivals but also combined with Andy McBrine for two middle-order wickets as West Indies struggled for a foothold. King, nevertheless, kept playing his shots to bring up a run-a-ball half-century and finally found some able company in captain Shai Hope to bring the visitors back on track with a gritty fourth-wicket stand. However, just when the tides were turning back in their favour, Dockrell returned to account for both incumbent batters as the Windies suddenly found themselves struggling again at 180/5. The onus fell again on Roston Chase to carry out a rescue-job, a role he nailed with a steadfast half-century while anchoring the tail along to take the side to a competitive total of 265/8.

In response, the hosts managed to get an opening stand of their own underway as Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie battled against the moving new ball like the battle-hardened veterans they are. Any loose deliveries, of which the Windies pacers offered plenty whenever they seemed to be on the brink of breakthrough, were duly punished as 50 became 125 without much ado. It was once again the introduction of spin that did the damage in the encounter as Gudakesh Motie finally scalped Paul Stirling for a nearly run-a-ball 68, and then took care of Curtis Campher in the same spell to throw a spanner into proceedings. Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker played brief meaningful cameos but the flow of wickets suddenly grew from a trickle to a stream, bookended by Jayden Sales' twin blows to leave the Irish requiring 50 off the final eight with Balbirinie also back in the hut. The situation called for a wise head, and Craig Young grabbed at the chance with a finishing flourish of 32, his two boundaries on the trot in the final over sealing a famous Irish win.     

Player of the Match

Andy Balbirnie's 18th ODI half-century -- his third against the West Indies -- was enough to secure Ireland a tight nervous chase as well as the 34-year-old the man of the match honours.

Scorecard