In the second match of the Ireland Women tour of West Indies 2023, the West Indies emerged victorious by 8 wickets and clinched the 3-match series at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia on Thursday. After winning the toss, Ireland elected to bat first but struggled to build momentum throughout their innings.
The Irish side posted a total of 113 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Amy Hunter top-scored for the touring party with 33 runs off 35 deliveries, including 4 fours. Captain Laura Delany contributed 20 runs off 35 balls, while all-rounder Eimear Richardson made a quickfire 16 runs off 15 deliveries.
For the hosts, Shamilia Connell, Hayley Matthews, and Cherry-Ann Fraser were the standout bowlers, picking up crucial wickets and keeping the scoring rate in check.
In reply, the Caribbean’s made a solid start and comfortably reached the target with 20 balls to spare. Captain Hayley Matthews played a magnificent innings, scoring 50 runs off 39 deliveries, including 9 fours.
Apart from Matthews, Rashada Williams made a steady contribution of 16 runs, while Shabika Gajnabi and Chinelle Henry provided valuable support with scores of 17 and 22 runs, respectively. Delany was the lone wicket-taker for Ireland. West Indies Women achieved the target in 16.4 overs, finishing at 114 runs for the loss of 2 wickets.
West Indies defeated Ireland by 8 wickets.#women #cricket #westindiescricket #irelandcricket #T20 #HayleyMatthews
Scorecard: https://t.co/uPHqyViDfH #CricketTwitter #WomenCricket pic.twitter.com/LT4GYEnhcw
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) July 7, 2023
With this win, West Indies took a 2-0 lead in the series, displaying their strength and skill on home soil. The third and final match of the series will give an opportunity for the hosts to register a clean sweep while Ireland shall be eager to bounce back to record a consolation victory.
