Daily Times

GRENADA: West Indies completed a 3-0 win in the one-day series with Ireland as Evin Lewis hit a century in a five-wicket victory on the DLS method in Grenada on Sunday. Ireland again struggled to set an imposing target with captain Andrew Balbirnie scoring 71 in a total of 203 while spinner Hayden Walsh took 4-36. The hosts were set a revised target of 197 off 47 overs after rain delays. Lewis blasted five sixes and six boundaries to make 102 as West Indies eased to 199-5 in 36.2 overs. The left-handed Trinidadian was left frustrated with an unbeaten 99 in Tuesday’s opening game but he moved to three figures in St George’s with another impressive knock.

Nicholas Pooran, who hit a half-century in Thursday’s narrow victory, was unbeaten on 43 while Brandon King added 38. The match followed a familiar pattern to the previous two, with Ireland batsmen failing to capitalise on decent starts. Seven reached double figures but only Balbirnie passed 25 runs as he compiled the best Irish score of the series and just the second half-century. Totals of 180, 237 and 203 have left the Irish bowlers little room for error and only in the second ODI in Bardardos on Thursday did they come close to bowling West Indies out.

The National Cricket Stadium pitch was spinner-friendly on Sunday and Walsh was also economical with 4-36 from his 10 overs while paceman Oshane Thomas took 3-41. “That has sort of been the trend of our series, we’ve managed to get in and build a platform but haven’t been able to kick on at the back end of the innings,” said Balbirnie. “When you’re playing a team as good as the West Indies and you don’t put up scores of 250 plus or 300 then you’re up against it. “We were outclassed today but we can definitely take improvements out of three games.” The sides meet again in Grenada on Wednesday in the opening game of a three-match T20 series.