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Twenty20 Match
The Brit Oval
Ireland 130-7 Innings Complete v West Indies 134-1 (C H Gayle 88 no)
West Indies beat Ireland by 9 wkts
West Indies received a timely boost on the eve of the ICC World Twenty20 with a nine wicket victory over Ireland on Tuesday.
The Caribbean side have shown little sign of form since arriving in England in April, losing the Test and one-day series 2-0 to the hosts.
However, captain Chris Gayle - fresh from his IPL season with Kolkata Knight Riders - blasted 88 not out from 55 balls to see his side to their target of 131 with four overs to spare.
Ireland's lack of batting firepower was exposed by the Windies quicks, William Porterfield's side unable to make the most of their powerplay, finishing the first six overs on just 36 for one.
Northamptonshire's Niall O'Brien (22) attempted to be the top-order aggressor and was just getting into his stride when he picked out midwicket with a pull off Dwayne Bravo.
Opener Jeremy Bray (30 off 29), Kevin O'Brien (20 off 18) and John Mooney (23 off 20) all made starts but were unable to raise the run-rate sufficiently.
Ireland particularly struggled against the sheer pace of Fidel Edwards, who followed up his good recent form in the second season of the Indian Premier League, with figures of 3-0-13-1.
Fireworks
West Indies knocked off the runs in 16 overs with the loss of only Andre Fletcher for 19, the opener miscuing an expansive stroke from Kyle McCallan's second delivery and was caught at point.
Gayle was joined by Ramnaresh Sarwan to see them home but it was the skipper who provided the fireworks.
They had made 77 for one by the halfway stage of their chase, of which Gayle contributed 50, and his savage assault on off-spinner McCallan's third over yielded two clearances of the ropes.
Two more came in the decisive 16th over, sent down by medium pacer Mooney, as Ireland's back-up bowlers took a pounding.
Sarwan kept the strike rotating and hit three boundaries in his unbeaten 25 from 23 balls
The Brit Oval
Ireland 130-7 Innings Complete v West Indies 134-1 (C H Gayle 88 no)
West Indies beat Ireland by 9 wkts
West Indies received a timely boost on the eve of the ICC World Twenty20 with a nine wicket victory over Ireland on Tuesday.
The Caribbean side have shown little sign of form since arriving in England in April, losing the Test and one-day series 2-0 to the hosts.
However, captain Chris Gayle - fresh from his IPL season with Kolkata Knight Riders - blasted 88 not out from 55 balls to see his side to their target of 131 with four overs to spare.
Ireland's lack of batting firepower was exposed by the Windies quicks, William Porterfield's side unable to make the most of their powerplay, finishing the first six overs on just 36 for one.
Northamptonshire's Niall O'Brien (22) attempted to be the top-order aggressor and was just getting into his stride when he picked out midwicket with a pull off Dwayne Bravo.
Opener Jeremy Bray (30 off 29), Kevin O'Brien (20 off 18) and John Mooney (23 off 20) all made starts but were unable to raise the run-rate sufficiently.
Ireland particularly struggled against the sheer pace of Fidel Edwards, who followed up his good recent form in the second season of the Indian Premier League, with figures of 3-0-13-1.
Fireworks
West Indies knocked off the runs in 16 overs with the loss of only Andre Fletcher for 19, the opener miscuing an expansive stroke from Kyle McCallan's second delivery and was caught at point.
Gayle was joined by Ramnaresh Sarwan to see them home but it was the skipper who provided the fireworks.
They had made 77 for one by the halfway stage of their chase, of which Gayle contributed 50, and his savage assault on off-spinner McCallan's third over yielded two clearances of the ropes.
Two more came in the decisive 16th over, sent down by medium pacer Mooney, as Ireland's back-up bowlers took a pounding.
Sarwan kept the strike rotating and hit three boundaries in his unbeaten 25 from 23 balls