WI 242/9 in 49.5 Overs - Live Ireland Vs West Indies 2nd ODI ODI 2020

SCORECARD COMMENTARY

WI WON

ODI

WI beat IRE by 1 wicket

Man of the Match - Alzarri Joseph

IRE

237-9

50.0/50 Ovrs

242-9

49.5/50 Ovrs

Ireland in West Indies, 3 ODI Series, 2020 |2nd ODI |1/9/2020
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Commentary

Right! A series win at last in ODIs for the Men from the Caribbean. And it has come at a time when their cricket is on a rise. Kieron Pollard continues his impressive display as a captain and will be gunning for a rare whitewash. Ireland, on the other hand, will be hurting. It will hurt for the next couple of days. But they need to lick their wounds and get ready for the third and final ODI in Grenada on Sunday, 12th January 2020 at 9 am local (1300 GMT). ADIOS! TAKE CARE!
ALZARRI JOSEPH HAS BEEN NAMED THE MAN OF THE MATCH. He is relieved about the win. On his bowling, Alzarri says that the wicket looked a bit more even than the previous game, hence he had to alter his plans. Stresses that he always has full support from his captain and the team management. On the message in the dressing room when coming out to bat, Joseph says that the message was to play sensibly. On his lofted shots over mid off, AJ says that he was just trying to play every ball on his merit. On his skill as an all-rounder, Alzarri says that he always practises hard in the nets. On the series win, Joseph says that the series is won but the series is not done yet, with one more match to go.
Earlier in the day, Alzarri Joseph ran through the Irish batting line-up to inflict a middle order collapse. Though the visitors did well to bat out their 50 overs, they were eyeing 275-280 at one stage. Even after all this, they could still have won, had their fielding been better.
Hayden Walsh and Khary Pierre provided one of the most astounding lower order rearguard action adding 52 for the 8th wicket, in just 61 balls. And then, Alzarri Joseph did his bit, hanging around in a 32-run stand with Walsh. All this would have been for nothing had Mark Adair affected even one of the two run out chances in the final over.
The first rain break proved to be dismal for the Windies. They lost Pooran on the second ball after resumption and Pollard fell too. 140/4 suddenly became 148/7 and the match seemed to be gone. The rain came again and this time, the Irish were 30 runs ahead on DLS. Going early then? Think again.
The 52-run stand for the 4th wicket seemed to put West Indies on track but at that time, Shai Hope lost his wicket. Then came the irreplaceable Kieron Pollard. On a wicket where everyone was struggling, he started to time his shots from ball 1, registering a quickfire half century stand with Pooran. But it was at that point of time that the heavens opened.
If you remember what Alzarri Joseph said in the interview at the innings break, he mentioned that Ireland had got 20 runs extra. We did not believe it then. We have to believe it now. What an accurate judgement. With the pitch slowing down, West Indies struggled on it. They were 3 down in no time but Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran revived the game.
If you look at the last over itself, three back-to-back mistakes by Mark Adair who had a horror game. First, he missed a run out of Cottrell on the third ball. Then, he missed his run out again on the fourth ball. And finally, when a yorker was needed to the number 11, he bowled a length ball. Even if credit is to be given to Mr. Cottrell, what are the chances that with the field up, a length ball won't clear the field? 0-10. And Adair suffered. Got to feel for them but they alone are responsible for this heartbreak.
Phew. 600 balls bowled. 479 runs scored. 18 wickets lost. Wonderful game of cricket. Deserved no winner perhaps with both teams fighting hard. But inexperience at this level cost Ireland as they committed too many mistakes at the death due to nerves.
49.5
6
M Adair to S Cottrell, SIX! Sheldon Cottrell, you beauty! A tail-ender has finished the game for West Indies. A length ball, outside off, Sheldon backs away and lofts it as clean as a whistle over extra cover! Time for the salute, young man, because WEST INDIES WIN THEIR FIRST ODI SERIES SINCE 2014! And how! By a solitary wicket!
49.4
1
M Adair to H Walsh, ANOTHER RUN OUT MISSED! What is Mark Adair doing? Plenty of nerves. Poor lad. Sheldon Cottrell has actually run 2, for a single! A high full toss outside off, Walsh drives it towards long off. The call is for 2 from Cottrell but Walsh is happy with the single. Cottrell has already turned but Walsh is not looking at him. Cottrell comes near the bowler and so does the ball as the throw is to him. But Adair fumbles. Looks to pick up and throw to the keeper but fumbles again. He tries to pick it up and throw for the third time but by that time Sheldon gets back in. 2 needed from 2!
49.3
1
M Adair to S Cottrell, SAFE! Mark Adair has dropped the match for Ireland. Full and outside off, Cottrell pushes it towards mid off and sets off for a quick single. But substitute Gary Wilson gets across from short extra cover and dives to stop the ball. He returns the throw to the bowler who gets across quickly to collect and affect the run out but in his excitement, fumbles the ball. He does hit the stumps but now, the question is, has he hit the stumps with his hand or with the ball? It is too close to call. Cottrell is nowhere in the frame but the third umpire is unable to decide whether it is out or not out. From one angle, it seems like the ball has deflected off the hand onto the stumps while another angle seems to show that the hand has disturbed the stumps. Too close to call and the third umpire chooses to be safe and gives it NOT OUT.
Is that the game? The substitute fielder Gary Wilson has produced an exceptional fielding effort. There is a run out appeal against Sheldon Cottrell. Referred upstairs. Has Mark Adair dropped the ball? Cottrell is not even in the frame but the bowler has lost control of the ball. Have the stumps been broken with the hand or has the ball deflected onto the stumps? Very close. Would be very harsh on either batsman or bowler to be adjudged out or not out. NOT OUT is the call.
49.2
1
M Adair to H Walsh, Full and on leg stump, pushed down to long on for a single.
49.1
0
M Adair to H Walsh, Nervous. A full toss, pushed towards mid off. 5 needed from 5.
END OF OVER 49 | 1 Runs & 0 Wkt | WI 233/9

Right. We are down to the final over of the match. Mark Adair will be bowling it but he has also been the most expensive bowler for Ireland. 7-0-42-1 so far. Of course, leave out Gareth Delany. Adair just has 4 runs to defend.
48.6
0
A McBrine to S Cottrell, Full and on middle, Sheldon walks across and defends. 10-0-37-2 for McBrine, a solid effort.
48.5
0
A McBrine to S Cottrell, Full and outside off, placed beautifully towards mid off.
48.4
1
A McBrine to H Walsh, Takes the single. Full and outside off, Walsh comes forward and pushes it towards mid off for a quick single. 5 more needed from 8 balls now.
48.3
0
A McBrine to H Walsh, This is punched past the bowler, but mid off mops it up.
48.2
0
A McBrine to H Walsh, Around off, punched back to the bowler.
48.1
0
A McBrine to H Walsh, Full and outside off, watchfully defended.
END OF OVER 48 | 9 Runs & 1 Wkt | WI 232/9

47.6
0
M Adair to S Cottrell, That could have been a boundary! Full on middle, Cottrell whips this beautifully but Paul Stirling at short mid-wicket dives to his left to stop! 9 from the over, but a wicket as well.