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Despite a sensational effort in the field which restricted the hosts to just 96 for 9 in their 20 overs, Ireland lose a low scoring thriller and share the Twenty20 Series with the World Champions, West Indies.
Darren Sammy’s West Indian side broke Irish hearts as the home side showed exactly why they are World Champions when they produced a magnificent effort in the second half of the match to defend their sub-par batting total of 96 for 9 at Sabina Park in Jamaica this evening.

Ireland will be left to think of what might have been tonight, after a first-innings display that couldn’t really have gone better for the Boys in Green. Ireland captain William Porterfield won the toss and chose to field first and let the West Indies set a total for Ireland to chase.

With Chris Gayle being rested due to a slight injury, Max Sorensen and Tim Murtagh opened the bowling to Gayle’s replacement Andre Fletcher who promptly got the West Indies going as he hit them both back over their heads for sixes as the hosts raced to 20 without loss after 3 overs.

Alex Cusack came on to bowl the fourth over and struck with his first ball to remove Fletcher when Gary Wilson hung on to a good catch, Cusack completed a wicket maiden before he struck again to remove Dwayne Smith in his next over. With the openers gone for the West Indies, Ireland went about putting on an exemplary show in the field as Porterfield not only rotated his bowlers beautifully but also led from the front magnificently with his fielding as he claimed two run-outs and a stunning diving catch at backward point.

Kevin O’Brien, Tim Murtagh and George Dockrell all bowled well again but the real star of the show was the Clontarf All-Rounder Cusack who claimed career-best figures of 4 for 11 from his 4 overs including a catch off his own bowling in the last over.

As Ireland walked off the Sabina Park Oval at the half-way stage, thoughts were immediately turning to the possibility of an historic Irish series win over a test playing nation, with William Porterfield’s men needing less than 5 runs an-over to achieve the 2-Nil series sweep.

The West Indies bowling attack is one of the most varied and impressive in limited overs cricket and led by spinners Samuel Badree and the World’s Number 1 ranked T20 bowler Sunil Narine they squeezed the life out of the Irish innings right from the start.

Ireland lost both their openers early again as both were bowled, Stirling for 2 and Porterfield for 5. So, Ireland looked to Wednesday’s Man of the Match Ed Joyce, but Sunil Narine produced a beauty to find his edge and when Poynter fell for 2 to a full-toss in the next over, Ireland were suddenly 25 for 4 after 9 overs.

Gary Wilson kept Ireland’s hopes alive with a gritty knock off 35 from 39 balls but with the local bowlers exploiting the conditions perfectly and captain Darren Sammy chipping in with three middle-order wickets, Ireland soon needed more than a run a ball. Try as they may the lower order couldn’t find the boundaries that were needed late in the innings and Ireland ended 11 runs short with a total of 85 for 8 from their 20 overs.

Feel sorry for our bowlers today. Didn't deserve to end on the losing side. Great work Cusy for player of the series

— Ed Joyce (@edjoyce24) February 21, 2014

The pain of the loss was eased somewhat by sharing the T20 Series Trophy with the West Indians, and the announcement after the game that Alex Cusack had been named as Man of the Series following two very impressive four over spells of bowling in the two matches.

The final match of Ireland’s tour in the Caribbean will be a one-off One Day International on Sunday at the same venue, starting at 1.30pm Irish Time. This match will again be Live Streamed online: the stream will go out live here on the Cricket Ireland Website.

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Sunil Narine bowled a cunning 4 over spell © WICB
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