Lewis 91 helps the West Indies achieve a big score and win the series
Lewis 91 helps the West Indies achieve a big score and win the series
West Indies vs Ireland: Evin Lewis smashed 91 from just 44 balls as the West Indies beat Ireland by 62 runs to clinch a T20I series victory of 3 match Series. First two matches washed out due to rain.
West Indies lit up the cricket field in Bready, smashing 20 sixes on their way to an enormous 256 for 5, despite a slow start in the first two overs. Their total was the second-highest in T20 history for them.
Evin Lewis (91 off 44 balls), Shai Hope (51 from 27), and debutant Keacy Carty (49* off 22) led the charge, helping West Indies secure a 62-run victory over Ireland to win the three-match series 1-0. The first two games had been washed out.
Ireland had a promising start to their chase Paul Stirling hit three consecutive boundaries, while Ross Adair and Harry Tector built a solid 101-run partnership. But once Tector fell in the 11th over, Ireland lost three wickets quickly and struggled to keep up with the required run rate.
Akeal Hosein made a strong comeback after Stirling’s early attack, taking three wickets for 27 runs in his four overs.
West Indies' innings got off to a flying start as Lewis and Hope smashed 70 runs in the powerplay. Left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys bowled well, conceding only seven runs in two overs. However, Lewis and Hope punished Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, and debutant Liam McCarthy with six fours and five sixes.
Both batters reached their half-centuries with huge sixes Lewis in 29 balls and Hope in 24 balls. Barry McCarthy finally broke their 122-run stand when he dismissed Hope in the 11th over. Soon after, Rovman Powell and Lewis fell, leading to a brief slump of 3 wickets for 30 runs in 11 balls.
But West Indies kept the scoreboard moving as Carty smashed four fours and four sixes in just 22 balls, while Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, and Romario Shepherd played quick cameos. A whopping 200 runs out of their 256 came from boundaries.
Liam McCarthy had a tough debut, conceding 81 runs in four overs the highest for a debutant in T20Is. Meanwhile, Humphreys impressed with 2 wickets for 16 runs in four overs. He could've had even better figures if Harry Tector hadn’t dropped a simple catch when Lewis was on 44. That drop proved costly, as Lewis set up West Indies' dominant win, even though he missed out on a century.
West Indies played fearlessly, Ireland showed flashes of brilliance, but in the end, the visitors were just too strong.