Rovman Powell hits maiden hundred to rescue Windies and sink Ireland
Rovman Powell struck a stunning maiden ODI century under pressure and Jason Holder spearheaded his second consecutive recovery effort to help the Windies to a third straight win that confirms their place in the Super Sixes.
The duo guided Windies to 257/8 in 50 overs after they had been 83/5 in their Group A match, before four wickets apiece for Kemar Roach (4/27 from 10) and Kesrick Williams (4/43 from 8.2) handed Holder’s team a 52-run victory.
West Indies seal their #CWCQ Super Six spot with victory over Ireland by 52 runs! Kemar Roach and Kesrick Williams take 4 each as Ireland are dismissed for 205 after Rovman Powell's maiden ton set up victory for the Windies! #WIvIRE scorecard ➡️ https://t.co/PnVXA6JkcW pic.twitter.com/o4UHQ3iPWH
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) March 10, 2018
The Irish reply got off to a bad start with each of the top three (William Porterfield 0; Paul Stirling 18; Andy Balbirnie 9) out early to leave them 32/3 from 11 overs. Ed Joyce (63), Niall O’Brien (34), Kevin O’Brien (38) and Gary Wilson (18) each made contributions but none kicked on and with the run-rate creeping up, they collapsed from 166/5 to 205 all out as Windies’ lower-order rally continued to pay dividends.
And what a rally it had been. Holder and Powell added 86 for the sixth wicket after Tim Murtagh, Boyd Rankin and Andy McBrine had reduced Windies to 83/5, and 24-year-old Powell eventually kicked on to a fantastic 100-ball 101 from No.7 – his maiden ODI century.
Powell, who took his time to kick on, hit out at the death, striking seven sixes and as many fours in a memorable knock to lift his team out of trouble.
Ireland had won a good toss and put Windies in. Their decision to open the bowling with a combination of McBrine’s spin and Murtagh’s pace kept the explosive first-wicket pair of Chris Gayle (14) and Evin Lewis (9) quiet.
Rankin got a breakthrough in his first over, getting Lewis to hit to McBrine to point.
Murtagh, who had been taken for a straight six by Gayle, was rewarded for keeping up the pressure, with the left-hander nicking behind for a sedate 28-ball 14.
Neither Marlon Samuels nor Shai Hope stuck around to get beyond single-digit scores, with Samuels nicking another Murtagh delivery, while Shimron Hetmyer threw away a promising start.
With half of the Windies line-up back in the hutch inside 20 overs, Holder, who had rescued his side from a similar situation two days before against PNG, had the responsibility to rebuild again. He made the most of a dropped catch by Paul Stirling and survived a run-out chance as the pressure was transferred back onto the Irish fielders.
He brought up his half-century in 70 balls with a towering leg-side six, but fell the very next ball, top-edging Murtagh as William Porterfield held on to a skyer.
Powell, though, stayed to finish what he had started. Having taken 50 deliveries to get his first 20 runs, he brought up a patient half-century and then shifted up a gear.
His hundred came with another massive six into the press box window. It was the best score by a Windies No.7 and pushed his side up to a match-winning score – and, in the process, a strong position in the tournament.