Balbirnie And McCarthy Lead Ireland To Historic Win Over West Indies

Ireland pulled off a big 124-run win against West Indies in the first ODI of the three-match series on Wednesday, May 21, at The Village in Dublin.

Ireland’s Big 124-Run Victory Over West Indies

Batting first, Ireland scored a strong total of 303/6 in 50 overs. In response, the West Indies were bowled out for just 179 in 34.1 overs. Barry McCarthy was the star with the ball, taking 4 wickets for 32 runs in 7.1 overs.

This was Ireland’s third straight win over the West Indies, who had beaten them in 2022 to claim their first-ever 2-1 series win. Overall, it was Ireland’s fourth win against the West Indies in ODI cricket.

Chasing a huge target, the West Indies lost Evin Lewis early for just 2 runs (7 balls) after a mix-up with Brandon King led to a runout. Barry McCarthy then took control, getting rid of Keacy Karty (6 off 15), Brandon King (19 off 29), and Amir Jangoo (0 off 2), leaving the West Indies in trouble at 29/4 in 9 overs.

Thomas Mayes also took a wicket, dismissing Shai Hope for just 2 runs (5 balls), leaving West Indies at 31/5. With the team in need of a partnership, Justin Greaves (35 off 17), Roston Chase (55 off 76), and Matthew Forde (38 off 48) tried to steady the ship with useful contributions.

Despite some solid efforts from Justin Greaves, Roston Chase, and Matthew Forde, the West Indies couldn’t chase down the target and suffered a heavy defeat. Barry McCarthy and George Dockrell (3/21) were the standout bowlers for Ireland.

Earlier, Ireland set a huge target of 304 runs, with Andrew Balbirnie (112 off 138), Paul Stirling (54 off 64), and Harry Tector (56 off 51) leading the charge. Balbirnie was named Player of the Match for his impressive ninth ODI century. After losing the first ODI, West Indies will be eager to bounce back in the second match on May 23 to stay in the series.

Meanwhile, fans on social media hailed Ireland after their historic win against West Indies. Check out how cricket fans reacted to this win:

Ireland have registered their biggest ODI win against a Full Member country 🔥

It's also their third successive win against the West Indies.#IREvWI pic.twitter.com/3AHDjN7TEy

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) May 21, 2025

🚨 IRELAND DEFEATED WEST INDIES BY 124 RUNS IN THE FIRST ODI 🤯

– What a historic win for Irish. pic.twitter.com/Y6C6Z3kSHJ

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 21, 2025

Ireland dominate West Indies as they secure victory in the ODI series opener 👊

📸: @cricketireland #IREvWI 📝: https://t.co/JOiwzrwnFo pic.twitter.com/d27yUrZal3

— ICC (@ICC) May 21, 2025

🇮🇪 Ireland won the 1st ODI vs West Indies by 124 runs.

🇮🇪IRE 303/6, Balbirnie 112, Tector 56; Forde 3-68
🌴WI 179, Chase 55, Forde 38; McCarthy 4-32

Scorecards: https://t.co/z4RiGI2g2R pic.twitter.com/RzolTsdtOl

— WIPA (@wiplayers) May 21, 2025

This is the first-ever bilateral series by West Indies🏝️ in Ireland☘️

Now, all full-member teams played at least one bilateral series in Ireland.#IREvWI pic.twitter.com/DnWIaImZXx

— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) May 21, 2025

West Indies All out for 179

Ireland win by 124 runs

Last 6 ODI's between these two teams : 3-3#IREvWI pic.twitter.com/qVjUksvvKH

— Abhijeet ♞ (@TheYorkerBall) May 21, 2025

Ireland Beat West Indies By 124 Runs In 1st ODI❤️ pic.twitter.com/Xu2WvFNbsK

— Cricket Chamber (@cricketchamber) May 21, 2025

Paul Stirling made history by becoming the first Irish cricketer to score 10,000 international runs. In the first ODI against the West Indies, Stirling needed 37 runs to reach the milestone and scored a quick 54 off 64 balls, leading Ireland to a strong start. At 34, he is far ahead of any other Irish player in terms of runs, with the second-highest scorer, Andy Balbirnie, 4,000 runs behind. Stirling is also closing in on 6,000 ODI runs, now sitting at 5,979 runs, and will look to surpass the mark in upcoming matches.

Most runs for Ireland in international cricket

10,017 runs – Paul Stirling, in 324 innings (2008-2025)
6,129 runs – Andy Balbirnie, in 235 innings (2010-2025)
5,850 runs – Kevin O’Brien, in 250 innings (2006-2021)
5,480 runs – William Porterfield, in 210 innings (2006-2022)

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