BREADY CRICKET CLUB – The touring West Indies Women completed a convincing 9-wicket win in the 1st one-day international against Ireland yesterday.
After being sent in to bat first, the Irish camp set a competitive total of 269 after Amy Hunter struck a sublime 96 off 90 balls. Her more than two-hour stay at the crease featured 10 boundaries and a six as the wicketkeeper-batter hit out against a West Indies attack that recently made it to the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
Hunter looked to play in the leg-side arc, pulling numerous balls that pitched short-of-a-length on a track that increasingly offered less and less for the bowlers as the day played out.
Captain Gaby Lewis (39), Orla Prendergast (30) and Louise Little (27) offered support as the home side – at one stage – looked destined to surge past 300.
However, when Hunter fell – within one shot of her second ODI century – the run rate slowed and several more wickets fell to result in what many considered a slightly below par score.
Needing an early breakthrough to gain some sense of momentum, the Irish bowlers toiled hard but with no success.
The West Indian captain, Hayley Matthews, looked in no mood to let this first game of the series slip and she mounted a commanding 159* off 123 balls – her 11th ODI century and her highest score in the format.
Matthews was not a solo act – Realeanna Grimmond in just her 6th ODI – settled in to support her skipper, registering 91 (107 balls) – her second half-century in what looks a promising career ahead for the 21-year old Guyanese opener.
Little removed Grimmond late on, but there were no further bumps in the road for the visitors as they ended 270-1 from 38.4 overs.
The two sides are back in action at the same venue on Sunday in Game 2 of the three-game series.
