West Indies Defeat Ireland in 20/20 World Cup
Hosts West Indies are off to the perfect start in the third edition of ICC T-20 World championship, the Caribbean kings who went into the match with out their most influential player, captain Chris Gayle stuttered to a low total, but skittled out the minnows for only 68 runs in reply. Gayle missed out the match due to stiffness in his back, and handed the reins of the team to all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
Batting first on a sluggish wicket, the hosts failed to get any substantial momentum in their innings, losing openers Shiv Chanderpual and Keith Fletcher cheaply, Bravo tried to take the attack to the inexperienced opponents slamming two sixes in his 18 run innings, but fell to medium pacer Cusack, offering a return catch.
Deonarine and Ramdin both fell cheaply leaving the hosts stuttering at 93 for 6 in 16 overs, the last four overs of the innings went in Calypso’s favour as the lower order batsmen led by all-rounder Darren Sammy wielded the willow successfully ensuring that the hosts go past the 130 run mark. Sammy struck 30 off only 17 balls, in what was a match winning effort, the tall right hander bludgeoned two sixes and two fours in his breezy knock.
The West Indians finished their stipulated 20 overs at 138 for 9, with Sammy the top scorer.
The Irish bowlers bowled tidily on the Providence stadium wicket. Seventeen year old left-arm spinner Dockrell claimed three wickets for only 16 runs in his four overs.
He was ably supported by the string of Irish medium pacers Rankin and Cusack claimed two wickets each while, spinner Botha chipped in with two scalps of his own. The Irish batsmen went into the field full of confidence, aiming to overhaul the mediocre total. However they were in for a rude shock West Indian quicks Rampual and Kemar Roach claimed four early scalps to totally derail the Irish batting effort.
The early jolts took the fight out of the minnows, as they slumped further on the double paced track, which was increasingly favouring the bowlers. Wilson was the only batsman to reach the double figures amongst the Irish batsmen, he contributed 17 runs off 34 balls, in what was a painstaking attempt of redeeming the situation.
The West Indian bowlers were all over the minnows choking them for runs, besides chipping away with wickets at regular intervals.
K ‘O Brien, Johnston and Mooney all failed to contribute withering away against the sustained hostility and accuracy of the hosts on a supportive wicket. The crowd roared on every time a wicket fell, as the party was well and truly underway in the stands at the picturesque providence stadium.
The Irish misery was over in the 17th over; the team was bundled out for an abysmal total of 68, handing a comfortable 70 runs win to the hosts. Ireland’s score was one of the worst ever totals in T-20 history, and the lowest in an innings of the T-20 World championship. Darren Sammy was the destroyer in chief claiming three wickets with his medium pacers; he was ably supported by Ravi Rampaul who claimed two wickets in a lively burst of fast bowling with the new ball.
Skipper Bravo chipped in with two wickets for only 5 runs, while Roach and Miller claimed a scalp each. Sammy’s all-round show earned him the man of the match award; the West Indians are virtually through to the next round after their crushing win. Ireland on the other hand would have to play out of their skins against England in their next match, if they are to have any chances of progressing beyond the group stage.
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