WEST INDIES RATTLED WITH DEFEAT IN WORLD CUP OPENER

Photo: West Indies players after their World Cup loss to Ireland (Getty Images)

For some Caribbean cricket fans it was a day of disappointment, for others it was a result not surprising to them as the West Indies lost by four wickets to Ireland in the opening Pool B match on Monday at the 2015 ICC World Cup in Nelson ,New Zealand.

The Caribbean side first took to the crease and quickly faltered to 87-5.Thanks to batsmen Lendl Simmons (102) who shared a partnership of 154 with Darren Sammy (89) they steered the side to a decent score of 304-7 off 50 overs. George Dockrell was the pick of the Irish bowling with 3-50.

Other notable contributors to the Windies innings were Chris Gayle (36), Marlon Samuels (21) and Andre Russel ( 27).

The West Indies Bowlers from the get go, weren’t purposeful and despite Jerome Tyalor bagging 3- 65, and Gayle and Samuels one a piece the Irish batsmen showed those who came out to view the match that they were not there to make up numbers and battered the Windies bowlers to frustration.

In only the fifth successful chase of over 300 runs in the World cup history, they have gotten three of such feat as they were led by Will Porterfield and Paul Stirling who put on 71 and Stirling (92) then shared 106 with Ed Joyce (84).

Niall O’Brien added 79 not out as Ireland won with 25 balls to spare for their fourth World Cup win over a Test team.

Having beaten Pakistan in their first World Cup in 2007 and England in the 2011 tournament, Ireland were simply dominant from the outset at the picturesque venue in Nelson on the south island.

Man-of-the match Stirling hit three sixes in his pugnacious innings and was within eight of his sixth ODI hundred when, suffering from severe cramp, he edged behind in the 28th over with 128 still needed.

Speaking with News media post match Stirling said “I don’t see it [beating the West Indies] as an upset. We prepared to come into this game to win. We’re going to prepare to go into the UAE game to win. It’s where we’re at. We’re looking to pick up two points in every game, and as long as we’re doing the right things and building up to that, then we’re happy.”

Ireland, who is ranked 11th and West Indies ranked 8th, are in a group with the UAE, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India and Pakistan to try all trying to secure a top-four spot in Pool B and a place in the quarter-finals.

Ireland, coached by former West Indies batsman Phil Simmons, uncle of Lendl, will next face fellow qualifiers UAE on 25 February, while West Indies battle Pakistan same day.