A Series win for the West Indies Vs Ireland

-Timothy Thompson & Brandon Harrison

With the first two games of the T20 series ending in a no result, the pressure was really on for the West Indies in the final international fixture at Bready. The last few series outings for the Darren Sammy-headed team ended in disappointment, and he looked to go back to the Caribbean on a high with a busy summer schedule ahead.

Ireland, looking to stamp their authority over the wounded West Indies team, won the toss and sent the West Indies into bat. This move seemed to backfire against the Irish team, as the Windies had the right formulas for everything in the Irish arsenal.

Captain Shai Hope and Evin Lewis started in fine form, bashing the Irish bowlers to all parts of the ground. Lewis took a liking to McCarthy in particular, which propelled the West Indies to 70 without loss after the powerplay. The onslaught continued as Evin Lewis raced to his 13th half-century in T20I cricket in just 29 deliveries. Shai Hope, at the opposite end, was also in fine form, as by this stage he had an almost 200 strike rate, being on 41 (29).

Hope then joined the party, completing his 6th half-century in T20Is, before departing almost immediately after falling five runs short of his 1,000-run mark in T20Is.

Next in was former captain Rovman Powell, who struggled to get going and was dismissed stumped off a widely directed ball from Humphreys. The dismissal of Powell was soon followed by the departure of Evin Lewis, who fell nine runs short of the 100-run mark. His knock played a crucial part in the West Indies’ batting innings, as it unsettled the Irish bowlers and left them vulnerable for the other destructive batters.

The international game then saw the introduction of West Indian gem Keacy Carty, who became the 101st player to represent the West Indies at the T20I level. Carty repaid the selection decision by scoring a brilliant anchoring knock of 49 (22), which boosted the West Indies to a mammoth 256/5 from their allotted 20 overs.

The evolution of Carty over the past year has really been something to admire. Once seen as a steady top-order bat in the longer formats, he’s now showing signs of transforming into a real T20 asset. His innings was filled with confidence, smart placement, clean hitting, and most importantly intent. It was exactly what the West Indies needed to close out the innings with a bang.

Ireland, in response, got off to a flying start with captain Paul Stirling dispatching Akeal Hosein for 13 runs in the first over of the run chase. However, in the very next over, Stirling fell victim to a good delivery from Jason Holder just outside the off stump, which he nicked to Rovman Powell at first slip, a very big blow to Ireland’s hopes of chasing the mammoth total set by the West Indies. Things could have been much worse for the Irish in the early exchanges, as they nearly lost both of their opening batsmen had it not been for some poor catching at mid-off by Alzarri Joseph.

Nevertheless, Ross Adair and Harry Tector started to really take the game to the West Indies and built a solid partnership, filled with masterful stroke play and power hitting. But Roston Chase joined the attack and hit Tector flush on the pads to have him dismissed leg before wicket. After being 114-1, the Irish found themselves at 116-3 in the blink of an eye, as Hosein shook off his expensive start to the game to claim two quick wickets both the new batter Lorcan Tucker and the settled Ross Adair.

At this stage, it felt like the Irish had started to lose any hope of reaching their target, as the West Indies slowly regained control of the contest. Late cameos from George Dockrell and Mark Adair rallied the hosts in the final stages of the innings, but it ultimately was not enough, as the West Indies sealed their first T20 win of the U.K. tour and by extension, the series.

A proud moment for Shai Hope’s men, as they walk away with some silverware after a very long and tiring tour. But Darren Sammy and his team will be looking to significantly improve their overall performances as they continue preparations for the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026.

Up Next: West Indies vs Australia in Barbados