KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC) – Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored a half-century and Sulieman Benn took three wickets as West Indies defeated Ireland by 18 runs in their Twenty20 international at Sabina Park yesterday.
Sent in to bat, West Indies piled up 171 for seven off their allotted 20 overs and then restricted Ireland to 153 for seven, to remain unbeaten on the Jamaica Cricket Association Festival.
Chanderpaul hammered 64 from 47 deliveries with eight fours and two sixes to lead the way for the Windies, dominating a 72-run second-wicket stand with Wavell Hinds, whose 45 came from 29 balls and included two fours and two sixes.
This came after Andre Fletcher was dismissed for 12 in the sixth over at 39 for one.
Both left-handers mixed patience with aggression to collar Ireland’s bowlers before Chanderpaul perished at 111 for two in the 14th over.
Hinds and Ramnaresh Sarwan (16) posted 27 from 15 balls for the third wicket to add impetus to the innings but Hinds departed in the 17th over at 138 for three.
The hosts then lost five wickets for 26 runs as medium pacer Alex Cusack bowled accurately at the death to finish with three for 19 from three overs.
In their reply, Ireland got a handsome start of 38 off 25 balls from Paul Stirling who stroked 33 from 19 balls with four fours and one six, and captain William Porterfield who scored 17 from 15 balls.
When Porterfield went in the fifth over, Stirling and Niall O’Brien who struck a dazzling 62, added a further 39 from 27 balls for the second wicket to keep Ireland on course.
The left-handed O’Brien was in devastating form as he took on the West Indies bowlers, hitting them to all parts of the ground in counting six fours and two sixes.
When Chanderpaul’s direct hit accounted for Stirling in the ninth over, O’Brien and Cusack garnered 45 for the third wicket but the partnership consumed a sluggish 49 balls and Ireland lost momentum.
Cusack, who scored 15 from 22 balls, perished in the 16th over at 122 for three and it sparked a collapse which saw Ireland lose their next five wickets for 26 runs as their run chase collapsed.
Benn, who opened the bowling but was taken off after just one over, returned to pick up three for 33 and narrowly missed a hat-trick in the final over with Ireland requiring 24 to win.

WEST INDIES innings
A. Fletcher c Mooney b Connell    12
S. Chanderpaul c Mooney b Kidd    64
W. Hinds b Cusack    45
R. Sarwan c wkp. Wilson b K. O’Brien    16
N. Deonarine c Stirling b Cusack    1
D. Sammy run-out    11
D. Ramdin c K. O’Brien b Cusack    1
J. Taylor not out    10
N. Miller not out    0
Extras: (lb-3, w-7, nb-1)    11
Total: (7 wkts, 20 overs)    171
Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-111, 3-138, 4-140, 5-143, 6-149, 7-164.
Bowling: K. O’Brien 4-0-36-1, Connell 3-0-20-1, Cusack 3-0-19-3, Botha 4-0-39-0, Stirling 4-0-28-0, Kidd 2-0-26-1.
IRELAND innings
W. Porterfield c wkp. Ramdin b Baker    17
P. Stirling run-out    33
N. O’Brien c Sarwan b Benn    62
A. Cusack c & b Miller    15
K. O’Brien not out    9
J. Mooney b Taylor    4
G. Wilson stp. Ramdin b Benn    2
N. Jones b Benn    0
A. Botha not out    4
Extras: (b-1, lb-2, w-4)    7
Total: (7 wkts, 20 overs)    153
Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-77, 3-123, 4-137, 5-143, 6-148, 7-148.
Bowling: Taylor 4-0-30-1, Benn 4-0-33-3, Baker 1-0-14-1, Sammy 4-0-37-0, Deonarine 3-0-22-0, Miller 4-0-14-1.