Dublin, July 11: The West Indies women’s cricket team secured a commanding Ireland by 9 wickets in the first ODI held at the Brady Cricket Ground on Friday.
Captain Hayley Matthews delivered an outstanding performance with both bat and ball, leading her team to a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.
In the match, West Indies won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Ireland women’s team batted first, scoring 269 runs after losing all 10 wickets in 49 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Amy Hunter, batting at number three, made a notable contribution with a score of 96 runs off 90 balls, including 6 fours. Captain Gaby Lewis added 39 runs, while Orla Prendergast and Louise Little chipped in with 30 and 27 runs, respectively.
For the West Indies, Afy Fletcher was impressive, taking 4 wickets for 49 runs in her 10 overs, while Hayley Matthews claimed 3 wickets for 52 runs. Janillea Glasgow and Karishma Ramharack each took 1 wicket.
Chasing a target of 270 runs, the West Indies got off to a fantastic start with a record partnership of 258 runs for the first wicket between Matthews and Riliana Grimond. This stands as the highest partnership in ODI format for the West Indies women’s team. Matthews remained unbeaten with a stellar 159 runs off 123 balls, featuring 2 sixes and 24 fours. This marked her 11th ODI century and the highest individual score in ODIs. Grimond narrowly missed her century, scoring 91 runs off 107 balls with 11 fours. Stephanie Taylor remained not out on 2 runs.