Joyce and O’Brien unable to complete salvage job
THE loss of two wickets in an over proved Ireland’s downfall as they missed a great opportunity to make it three wins out of three at the World Cup qualifying tournament in Harare as West Indies avenged their finals defeat in 2015.
Ed Joyce (63) and Kevin O’Brien (38) had added 70 for the fifth wicket to take Ireland within 92 of victory with 14 overs remaining.
But the return of experienced Kemar Roach, in his 69th ODI, accounted for both and left the remaining batsmen with a virtually impossible task.
The final margin was a harsh 52 runs but qualification for the Super Six remains almost assured and is still in Ireland’s hands.
Victory against UAE in their final group game tomorrow will guarantee progress and even a first loss in six games against the Emirates will be enough unless the Netherlands shock West Indies.
‘We got ourselves into a decent position but didn’t capitalise,’ admitted Joyce, who had his own regrets. ‘Two set batsmen getting out wasn’t ideal, I clipped a ball off my legs, and don’t really know how it got there (to the midwicket fielder) and Kevin missed a straight one and when you are suddenly six down it’s very tough for the new guys to get the runs.’
William Porterfield won a vital toss and superb new ball bowling by Tim Murtagh claimed the big scalps of Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, to catches by Niall O’Brien, as West Indies slumped to 45-3.
By the end of the 19th over it was 83-5 and it should have been 93-6 but Paul Stirling, in his first over, dropped a return catch off Jason Holder. The West Indies captain, then on 18, went on to make 54 but the real damage was done by Rovman Powell.
He brought up his maiden ODI century with successive sixes as the tournament favourites added 53 in the last five overs to finish on 257-8.