BASSETERRE, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Jan 20, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Opening batsman
Lendl Simmons blasted 10 sixes in an undefeated 91 as West Indies routed
Ireland by nine wickets in the third and final Twenty20 International at
Warner Park on Sunday.
Simmons, the nephew of West Indies coach Phil Simmons, also hit five
boundaries in his 40-ball blitz.
It was his highest score in the format and came just five days before his
35th birthday.
Chasing a modest 139 to win, Simmons won the match in style with a six
over midwicket off spinner Simi Singh whose three overs cost 41 runs.
Fellow opener Evin Lewis made 46 with four boundaries and three sixes as
West Indies raced to victory with 54 balls remaining.
“It was a proper batting surface with the ball coming onto the bat
nicely,” said Simmons whose ambition is to help West Indies defend their
World T20 title in Australia later this year.
“I missed out on the last World Cup because of injury but I am looking
forward to the one this year.”
The three-match series ended 1-1 after Ireland edged a first-game thriller
by four runs in Grenada before Saturday’s match at Warner Park was abandoned
due to rain.
Earlier, veteran all-rounders Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo shared six
wickets as West Indies restricted Ireland to 138 all out.
Captain Pollard, who produced the best bowling spell by a West Indian in
T20 internationals (4-25) in Saturday’s abandoned game, claimed 3-17.
Bravo finished with 3-19 to become the West Indies’ leading all-time
wicket-taker in the format with 57 victims in his 69th game.
That beat the previous best of 54 by leg-spinner Samuel Badree.
“We need to get early wickets, we cannot have teams get to 40, 50 in no
time. I think we need to improve in that area,” admitted man of the series
Pollard.
On Simmons, he added: “We love to see him in that mindset, he’s a little
guy but he packs a punch.”
Put into bat, Ireland raced to 50-0 off just 3.3 overs with openers Kevin
O’Brien (top scoring with 36) and Paul Stirling again getting their team off
to a storming start.
However, Pollard dismissed O’Brien after the Irishman hit his runs off
only 18 balls with Bravo then accounting for Stirling (11).
Stirling had made a career-best 95 in Grenada after sharing an opening
stand of 154 with O’Brien.
Ireland were still well-placed at 74-2 but lost their last eight wickets
for just 64 runs despite the efforts of skipper Andy Balbirnie who made 28
from 23 balls.
“We were outclassed today but if you lose wickets in clusters, that
doesn’t help,” said Balbirnie.
“We will take positive from this series. The guys will learn from it ahead
of the World Cup.”