Ireland Women fell just short of a remarkable victory in the first T20 International (T20I) against West Indies Women at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia. Despite a valiant fightback, Ireland lost by the narrowest of margins, giving the West Indies an early lead in the series.
Batting first after being put in, Ireland got off to a strong start with openers Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter scoring 28 runs off the first 23 balls. Both batters looked comfortable and found the boundary on multiple occasions.
However, their partnership was short-lived as they were both dismissed within five balls of each other. The West Indies bowlers then tightened their grip on the game, restricting Ireland’s scoring opportunities. Captain Laura Delany and Eimear Richardson tried to accelerate the innings, putting on 31 runs for the fourth wicket before Richardson was caught at square leg.
Delany fought hard, hitting two boundaries and a six, but she fell in the final over as Ireland finished on 112-7 from their allocated 20 overs, falling seven runs short of what is considered a par score for the ground.
The West Indies’ chase got off to a rocky start with a mix-up between the batters resulting in a run-out by Orla Prendergast. Hayley Matthews led the recovery with a well-made 37, but quick work by Amy Hunter behind the stumps and another direct hit run-out by Prendergast saw the West Indies stumble at 59-3 in the 13th over.
The remaining seven overs of the game saw a shift in momentum as runs flowed but wickets fell regularly. Aimee Maguire, making her T20I debut, impressed with her bowling, taking 1-18. Despite being hit for a boundary by Afy Fletcher, Maguire responded strongly with a faster and flatter ball that deceived Fletcher and crashed into her leg stump.
With one over to go, the West Indies needed seven runs to win with three wickets in hand. Cara Murray, entrusted with the ball, took a wicket with the third ball. However, Ireland’s hopes of a come-from-behind win were shattered as a wide and a single off the last ball allowed the West Indies to secure a two-wicket victory off the final delivery.
The two teams will meet again at the same venue on Thursday for the second T20I of the three-match series. Ireland will be eager to bounce back from their narrow defeat and level the series, while the West Indies will be looking to cement their early advantage.
