Harry Tector, Andy McBrine take Ireland to series-leveling win in rain-reduced match
Ireland 168 for 5 (Tector 54*, McBrine 35, Hosein 2-51) beat West Indies 229 all out (Shepherd 50, Smith 46, McBrine 4-36) by five wickets (DLS method)
An unbeaten half-century from Harry Tector and an all-round performance from Andy McBrine helped Ireland level the ODI series with a win in a rain-hit second match at Sabina Park.
The under-strength Ireland side, which had a number of players missing out with Covid-19 - including captain Andy Balbirnie - reduced the hosts to 43 for 3 after opting to field, with Craig Young accounting for all three wickets. A brief 48-run stand between Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase revived West Indies' innings, but McBrine's back-to-back strikes further dented their progress.
The hosts then slipped from 91 for 3 to 111 for 7, but a 58-run ninth-wicket partnership between Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith lifted the side and took the total past 200. Smith hit five sixes and two fours in an aggressive 19-ball 46, while Shepherd scored a 41-ball 50.
But McBrine removed Shepherd to take his fourth wicket, as West Indies were wrapped up for 229.
Ireland's top four made sure their chase got off to a quick start, with stand-in captain Paul Stirling becoming the first from his country to 5000 ODI runs on his way to a 15-ball 21.
Tector, at No. 4, brought up his fifty off 69 deliveries, as Ireland crossed 150, shortly after which play was halted briefly due to rain. The target was thus brought down to 168, which meant Ireland needed 11 runs from the remaining 28 balls. The revised target was achieved within the next eight deliveries and five wickets in hand, as Ireland added ten more World Cup Super League points while moving to fourth on the table. Tector remained unbeaten on 54 off 75 balls, but McBrine's efforts with both bat and ball earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.
"The win means a lot," Stirling said after the match. "We're delighted with the way the lads responded, coming from a tough loss the other day. To come and put a performance in like this after the sort of off-field activities that have gone on, we're delighted to get the win."