BASSETERRE (St Kitts): Rain wreaked havoc as the second Twenty20 Inter­national between West Indies and Ireland was washed out in Basseterre on Saturday.

No result was declared after the game was called off approaching 22:00 local time — Ireland boasting a 1-0 lead in the three-game series.

Career-best figures from captain Kieron Pollard helped restrict Ireland to 147-9 from 19 overs, with a rain delay leading to a reduction in overs.

Confidence was high in the Ireland camp after their memorable four-run triumph in the opening T20 in Grenada. But Pollard claimed 4-25 from four overs — the 10th best performance for the West Indies in T20 Inter­national history, dismissing Gareth Delany (44), skipper Andy Balbirnie (36), Gary Wilson (5) and George Dockrell (2).

Delany clobbered five sixes and a four during his 22-ball cameo and put on 62 for the third wicket with Balbirnie who struck four boundaries in his 32-ball innings. The 20-year-old Harry Tector hoisted a brace of sixes in scoring a rapid 31 from 23 deliveries.

Sheldon Cottrell (2-10) and Romario Shepherd (1-38) also chopped in with wickets for the West Indies.

West Indies managed to start their run chase and they reached 16-1 after Lendl Simmons (10) fell victim to Paul Stirling (1-11) before the rain set in for good.

The last match was also being played at the Warner Park on Sunday.

Scoreboard

IRELAND:

P.R. Stirling c Hetmyer b Cottrell 17

K.J. O’Brien c Hetmyer b Shepherd 4

A. Balbirnie c Shepherd b Pollard 36

G.J. Delany c Pierre b Pollard 44

H.T. Tector run out 31

G.C. Wilson b Pollard 5

G.H. Dockrell c and b Pollard 2

Simi Singh c Pooran b Cottrell 4

B.J. McCarthy run out 0

J.B. Little not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-1) 4

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 20 overs) 147

FALL OF WKTS: 1-6, 2-3, 3-95, 4-111, 5-125, 6-133, 7-147, 8-147, 9-147.

DID NOT BAT: C.A. Young.

BOWLING: Cottrell 4-0-10-2; Shepherd 4-0-38-1; Pierre 2-0-21-0; Walsh 2-0-32-0; Bravo 3-0-18-0 (1w); Pollard 4-0-25-4.

WEST INDIES:

L.M.P. Simmons c Tector b Stirling 10

E. Lewis not out 2

S.O. Hetmyer not out 4

EXTRAS 0

TOTAL (for one wkt, 2.1 overs) 16

FALL OF WKT: 1-10.

DID NOT BAT: N. Pooran, S.E. Rutherford, K.A. Pollard, D.J. Bravo, H.R. Walsh, K. Pierre, R. Shepherd, S.S. Cottrell.

BOWLING: Stirling 1-0-11-1; Simi Singh 1-0-5-0; McCarthy 0.1-0-0-0.

RESULT: Match abandoned; Ireland lead three-match series 1-0.

UMPIRES: G.O. Brathwaite (West Indies) and P.A. Gustard (West Indies).

TV UMPIRE: J.M. Williams (West Indies).

MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand).

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2020