Ireland vs West Indies | West Indies tour of Ireland, 2025 | 1st ODI

Right then, a commanding all-round performance from Ireland sees them take the lead in this three-match ODI series and this will surely give them a huge boost in confidence. As for West Indies, they were thoroughly outplayed and will need to regroup quickly if they are to force a decider. The second ODI is set to be played at the same venue on Friday, 23rd May. The first ball will be bowled at 9.45 am GMT, but be sure to join us early for all the build-up. See you then!

Andy Balbirnie is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his brilliant ton. He says they were itching to get into the series and there were a few injuries coming into the series, but they did well. He congratulates Paul Stirling on 10,000 international runs and he says none of them knew it before the game. Adds that he has been a superb player for Ireland over the years and this amount of runs speaks for itself. Shares that his role is to bat as deep as possible and the other batters contributed really well. He says this win sets up the series nicely as both teams now know the conditions well and the competition will only get intense from here on.

The skipper of Ireland, Paul Stirling says that they did not put a foot wrong and he is absolutely delighted with the performance. Mentions that all debutants played brilliantly and it's a great thing for Irish cricket to see the depth of the talent out here. Talking about his milestone of 10,000 international runs, he says that he didn't have any idea about that and he is delighted to get it. Adds that it was something that he had dreamt of as a kid, but as a professional cricketer, you can't dwell too much on it. Says that it was a typical Andy Balbirnie innings as he saw off the new ball and batted throughout the innings and the way Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector came in was pretty special. Adds that 300 was pretty much chaseable but the opening spell from Barry McCarthy and Thomas Mayes was brilliant.

The captain of West Indies, Shai Hope says his team struggled to counter the new ball and this is something they need to get right in the next game. Mentions that Ireland played well and his team needed to show some more intent, especially in the first Powerplay. Feels if his team can have a decent first Powerplay they are going to win more often and given the power his team has at the back end, he is confident of them chasing down any total.

Time for the presentation ceremony...

Earlier, after West Indies opted to bowl first, Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie weathered the early storm and laid a solid platform with a 109-run opening partnership. Balbirnie, dropped on 65, made the most of the reprieve as he shifted gears to convert his fifty into a commanding century. Contributions from Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker kept the momentum going but the final flourish never quite came as West Indies pulled things back at the death to restrict Ireland to 303.

What followed was a gritty stand between Roston Chase and Matthew Forde, with the duo growing in confidence as the innings progressed and the runs began to flow. However, just when the pair were beginning to look settled, an inspired bowling change saw George Dockrell break the stand by dismissing Chase. From there, the tail folded in a hurry. Barry McCarthy was the pick of the bowlers for Ireland with 4 wickets.

It was a seam bowling masterclass from Ireland in defence of a total that, at the halfway mark, felt slightly underwhelming. Barry McCarthy led the charge with a fiery opening spell, and the rest of the attack followed suit to heap misery on the visitors. A combination of relentless seam bowling and some questionable shot selection saw West Indies slump to 31 for 5 inside the first 10 overs. Justin Greaves' counter-attack was short-lived as the visitors slipped to 71/6.

A famous win for Ireland in Dublin, one that puts them ahead in the series. Believe it or not, this is the third straight win for Ireland in the format against West Indies. For the visitors, it’s been a forgettable start to their tour of this part of the world. A day where, after winning the toss, very little went their way.