West Indies 113 for 8 (Matthews 37, Kelly 3-21) beat Ireland 112 for 7 (Delany 34, Matthews 3-22, Fraser 2-22) by two wickets
Captain Hayley Matthews took West Indies to a last-ball win in the first of three T20Is against Ireland. She first took 3 for 22 in four overs to restrict Ireland to 112 in Gros Islet, and followed that up by scoring a sedate 42-ball 37 to script a two-wicket win for West Indies.
Shemaine Campbelle's single off the final delivery of the took West Indies home, something that looked doubtful when they slid from a comfortable 40 for 1 in the ninth over to a tricky 74 for 5 in the 15th. That collapse included top-scorer Matthews' wicket, who was the first of two to fall off back-to-back balls by medium-pace bowler Arlene Kelly.
Kelly trapped Zaida James immediately after having Matthews caught, and finished with 3 for 21, although that effort didn't prove enough for Ireland in the end.
After being asked to bat, Ireland's batters lost their way following an opening stand of 28 off 23 balls between Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter. Ireland lost three wickets for 16 runs at that stage, with two of those wickets going to Cherry-Ann Fraser, who dismissed Hunter and Orla Prendergast after Matthews had struck first to remove Lewis.
Matthews' counterpart Laura Delany and Eimear Richardson briefly steadied Ireland with a 31-run fourth-wicket stand, which was then broken by offspinner Ashmini Munisar.
Delany, who scored 34, fell after adding another 28 with Kelly, but two wickets and just one run off the last four deliveries of their innings stymied Ireland, who eventually fought well with the ball, only to fall just short.
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