Ireland let big opportunity slip away as West Indies take series opener

This definitely felt like one that got away. Twice Ireland had a grip on proceedings during a 24-run defeat to the West Indies at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Saturday, only for their hosts to respond accordingly on both occasions.

At one stage the hosts were teetering on 62 for four after losing three wickets in as many overs. Ireland’s patience in hitting decent areas on a pitch that both seamed and spun was rewarded with false strokes from Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope and Roston Chase.

Despite the success, skipper Andrew Balbirnie would have liked to have seen more aggressive, full bowling early on to exploit the sideways movement the pitch was offering. Maybe 12 total wides were also playing on his mind, a factor in Ireland taking four hours to bowl just under 49 overs.

“I think we could have been a bit better up top and made them play on the front foot a bit more with that bit of nip that there was early on. With not having bowled as well as we wanted I thought we had a really good middle period and dragged ourselves back into the game.”

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Perhaps he was right. More early wickets may have helped avoid the first West Indies response to being put under the cosh. Their own captain, the experienced Kieron Pollard, combined with debutant Shamarh Brooks for a stand of 155. The Barbadian fell short of a dream first century despite being dropped in the 90s by Gareth Delany (a rare Irish fielding lapse), Mark Adair receiving the benefit of an umpire's call LBW decision on review moments later.

A target of 270 looked like a big chase given how hard the West Indies found scoring against the new ball, but Balbirnie's decision to bat second on a pitch that gradually flattened out looked a good one during his partnership with Andy McBrine. The North West Warriors man was fluid upon his promotion to number three with Paul Stirling in isolation, striking five boundaries on his way to 34 before retiring hurt after being struck on the helmet by an Odean Smith bouncer.

Balbirnie, who saw his own helmet rearranged at one stage, confirmed after the match that McBrine failed the concussion protocols.

One couldn’t help but feel robbed of seeing where he could have taken his innings, but Ireland still had control thanks to the next partnership between Balbirnie and Harry Tector. The former was his usual assured self through the off side against the quicks, while his ability to sweep meant boundary options were always available against the spinners.

When the pair departed within the space of eight balls during the other major West Indian fightback, both having notched half-centuries – Tector’s fifth in his last eight ODIs – it was always going to be tricky for the Irish tail to see them home.

Ireland’s blueprint is for one, if not more,of the top four to carry the innings while continually accelerating towards the end, given a struggle for lower order firepower that has dominated recent conversation. On that front, it was reassuring to see George Dockrell and Adair show an ability to send failed yorkers flying over the rope, but Balbirnie was still frustrated that neither he nor Tector could see things home:

“We talk about guys wanting to win games for their country and that was an opportunity for one of us to do that. We set up exactly how we wanted to in a chase that was our blueprint if you like, and not to get over the line is difficult to take at the moment, but we have a few more games to get that right.”

On to Tuesday’s second ODI then, where the return of Stirling will go some way to mitigating against the loss of McBrine, if he is indeed ruled out with a ‘mild concussive episode’. He has an assessment on Monday that will determine his availability.

His potential absence would be more strongly felt in the spin department. With Simi Singh and Ben White set to miss the rest of the series with Covid, all of a sudden Ireland may be without a frontline spinner.

Dockrell offered his services on Saturday, but he is short of overs since making the change to a frontline batter. He bowled three overs at the cost of 23 runs, Pollard taking a particular liking to him when launching one delivery onto the Sabina Park roof.

Gareth Delany’s leg-breaks could also be called upon, but Ireland’s top four, which for the most part is trending in the right direction, may have more work to do if a lack of spin options comes back to haunt them.