Ireland beat Jamaica by seven runs in their Twenty20 clash at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts limped to 120 for nine in their 20 overs, in response to
Ireland’s 127 all out.
Ireland’s score, which was achieved in 19.1 overs, appeared at first to be an easy target for the Jamaicans, but they failed in their chase after a poor batting display.
After winning the toss and deciding to take first strike, Ireland
found themselves in early trouble, losing the wicket of Niall
O’Brien for eight, bowled by Andrew Richardson in the second over.
His opening partner, Paul Stirling (18), went soon afterwards when he was caught by Danza Hyatt off the bowling of Bevan Brown in the fourth over.
Stirling managed a four and a six in his innings that lasted 17
balls.
Andre Botha (7) and Alex Cusack (7) were removed in quick succession of each other, both falling to paceman Krishmar Santokie, to leave the Irish reeling on 49 for four after six overs.
Captain William Porterfield, made 14 runs before he was stumped
by Carlton Baugh off the bowling of Odean Brown.
Gary Wilson, was bowled by Hyatt for a neat 15, put together a much needed 31 run partnership with Porterfield to steady the innings before Wilson departed in the 12th over.
Porterfield followed suit in the next over with an additional two
runs posted on the scoreboard as the Ireland players continued to struggle under stiff Jamaican pressure in the field.
Bevan Brown ended with figures of three for 26 off his four overs to leadthe Jamaican charge while Santokie added two for 24 in support.
John Mooney struck a six and a four to push the Irish to their
eventual total and in the process lifted their strike rate to just
over six runs per over.
The Jamaicans never really got going in their reply and kept losing
wickets at key intervals on the back of impressive fielding by the
Irish players and poor shot selection from the local batsmen.
Brenton Parchment went in the first over for five runs, caught at
mid-off by Cusack off the bowling of Peter Connell and when Jon Ross Campbell (six) and Danza Hyatt (18) followed soon afterwards with the score on 45 for three in the seventh over, it became clear that it wasn’t going to be an easy outing for the home side.
Odean Brown, who was dropped by Stirling in the cover region on 12, registered a run-a-ball knock of 20, consisting a massive six, but there was little application from the other batsmen as the Jamaicans crumbled to their first defeat of the Jamican Cricket Festival.
Ireland’s Phil Simmons was pleased with the fighting spirit displayed by his charges and welcomed the win as they continued their preparation towards the ICC World Twenty20, which getunderway across the region on 30 April.
‘We didn’t bat too well but we showed in the field that we can
come out and fight hard and at the end of the day we came out on top.
It’s the start of the Twenty20 and it's good to start with a win,’
Simmons said.
‘I'm very pleased that we came and fought and showed
that we will fight to the end, that’s the most pleasing thing about
this game.’
