Windies overwhelm Irish

BELFAST: WEST Indies cricket captain Brian Lara yesterday warmed up for the upcoming NatWest Series with a swashbuckling century as the Caribbean cricketers defeated Ireland by 96 runs in Belfast.  In the first of back-to-back one-dayers in Belfast, Lara blasted 106 runs in the West Indies’ 242 all out. However, the pace of Ravi Rampaul, who finished with three for 25, ended Ireland’s hopes of a shock victory and they were bowled out for 146. Ireland’s only real answer to the tourist’s pace attack was a stubborn 32 from Kyle McCallan.  Essex paceman Adrian McCoubrey had early success when he removed Chris Gayle and Devon Smith while Shivarine Chanderpaul was run-out by Eoin Morgan to leave the tourists on 40 for three. Lara started slowly on the flat track before flexing his muscles to entertain the shirt-sleeved crowd. Along with the impressive Dwayne Bravo, Lara featured in a 139-run partnership.

Seven-year-old Curtis Cooke was hit on the head when Lara cleared the ropes for his third six.  The West Indies skipper rocketed a cover drive to the boundary to bring up his 50 in 72 balls. Lara struck four sixes and 12 fours before he was beautifully caught in the long-on boundary by Kyle McCallan off Andrew White. The only time Lara displayed any compassion came when he ran off the field at the fall of Bravo’s wicket to hand his batting gloves to seven-year-old Curtis Cooke. Young Cooke was hit on the head when Lara cleared the ropes for his third six. Twenty minutes later he was then joined  in the ambulance by his father Gordon, the Ireland pace bowler who slipped on the hard surface and was taken to hospital with a suspected hairline fracture of the ankle.

However, once Lara departed the run-rate slowed appreciably and Ireland bowled out the visitors with 3.4 overs remaining. Best of the Ireland bowlers was Andre Botha with three for 42, while McCallan and White chipped in with two wickets apiece. The amateurs of Ireland started the run-chase in positive fashion at six-an-over with Molins and Jeremy Bray peppering the boundary.  But once both openers and Kent wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien departed to Rampaul the runs dried up. Halfway through their innings, Ireland were struggling at 102 for six with all their main run-getters back in the pavilion and Cooke incapacitated. There was a late 38-run stand between McCallan and Trent Johnston, but it was not enough as Ireland’s knock finished 96 runs short. 

Afterwards Lara acknowledged that he wasn’t overly impressed with his side’s display. “We looked tired and the top three and lower order both need to show more,” said Lara. “But we’re a young side and there’s competition for places so I’m confident we’ll improve. “Ireland’s top three looked strong but they need more match-winners and we have to step up a level because we will be playing better teams soon,” Lara said. Ireland: AC Botha, JP Bray, G Cooke, PG Gillespie, DT Johnston, WK McCallan, AGAM McCoubrey, JAM Molins, EJG Morgan, NJ O’Brien, AR White. West Indies: C Baugh, I Bradshaw, D Bravo, S Chanderpaul, C Gayle, B Lara, J Lawson, R Powell, R Rampaul, D Sammy, D Smith.