Openers Evin Lewis and Shai Hope provided a historic batting performance to propel the West Indies to a 62-run victory against Ireland in the third and final T201.
Player-of-the-Match Lewis was just nine runs short of his third T201 century, while captain Hope smacked 51 runs off 27 balls, as the West Indies posted a massive 256 for 5 from their 20 overs after being sent in to bat at the Bready Cricket Club.
In return, Ireland put up a courageous effort in their run chase but eventually fell short, ending on 194-7 off their 20 overs.
The victory sealed a 1-0 win for the Caribbean team in the three-match series after the first two matches were rained out.
A sensational opening partnership of 122 in 10 overs between Lewis and Hope gave the visitors the upper hand.
Hope smashed pacer Ben McCarthy for 2 fours and a 6 in the third over as the West Indies raced to 26 without loss.
Lewis took a while to find his timing but eventually did and belted pacer Mark Adair for 2 sixes in the following over.
Liam McCarthy was hit for a combined 2 sixes and 2 fours in his opening over, scoring 21 runs.
Two more huge sixes off spinner Ben White took Lewis into his 40s.
He hit Liam McCarty over the ropes in the next delivery to bring up his half-century off 29 balls in an over that leaked 24 runs.
Hope reached his half-century soon after, hitting White for another 6 to get his 50 off 23 balls.
Ireland finally got a breakthrough when Brian McCarthy caught Hope after smashing 4 sixes and 4 fours to leave the score 122 for one after 10.3 overs.
Lewis continued his assault, hitting White for two sixes and a four to end the 12th over. Rovman Powell made only two runs before he was stumped off the bowling of Matthew Humphreys, and one run later, Lewis was caught on 91 by Paul Stirling off the same bowler as the West Indies slipped to 152 for 3 in the 13th over.
Lewis struck eight sixes and seven fours during his stay at the crease.
Keacy Carty then scored an impressive, unbeaten 49 from just 22 balls, including 4 sixes and 4 fours, while Romario Shepherd finished on 19 not out from just six balls with 3 sixes in an unbroken partnership of 37 runs from just 9 balls.
Humphreys was Ireland’s best bowler with 2-16 from his 4 overs, while Liam McCarthy recorded Ireland’s most expensive T201 figures of 0-81 from his four overs.
In reply, Ireland had a good start, with Stirling hitting Akeal Hosein for 3 boundaries in the opening over, but Holder had Stirling caught in the next over.
For the next 10 overs, Ross Adair and Harry Tector put on a 101-run partnership that had the visitors on edge.
However, Roston Chase trapped Tector lbw for 38 off 25 balls, and Ireland then lost 3 wickets for 2 runs, including Adair’s 48 off 36 balls, as they slumped to 116 for 4.
Mark Adair gave the home team a little hope in his innings of 31 from 14 balls, but it was insufficient; by then, the result was long decided.
Hosein finished with 3-27, while Jason Holder took 2-49 for the West Indies.
