West Indies vs Ireland, 3rd ODI, St George’s: Preview, prediction, likely XIs

It’s the third and final ODI, and on the face of it, there’s not much to play for. West Indies lead 2-0, and the series is already sealed. However, Ireland will be particularly keen to win this one, if only to save some face.

The manner of their defeat in the second ODI, and especially the last-minute nature of it, would have rankled the Irish. Ireland had two chances to dismiss Hayden Walsh, who had revived West Indies from a disastrous position. Mark Adair spilled two run-out chances with a wicket to go, both back-to-back, and West Indies managed to sneak through.

So disappointed were Ireland and so deep was Adair’s anguish that he took the unusual step of tweeting to acknowledge the blame and promising he’ll do better. The defeat certainly hurt Ireland a whole lot, and a victory in St George’s will go a long way in soothing them, even if the series is already sealed.

However, West Indies will be buoyed by the win. The performance of Hayden Walsh was stunning, and his 46* was a knock of grit and belief. Do West Indies have a new star? It comes with consistency, and if Walsh make a habit of scoring big knocks, he certainly can be counted as a one to look out for.

Head to head

It’s a heavily one-sided rivalry, this. West Indies have won nine of their 11 matches so far. Victory in the second ODI would have been just the second time Ireland beat West Indies in an ODI.

Key players

Alzarri Joseph (West Indies): In all the drama of the finale, it was easy to forget what had gone on earlier in the day. Joseph starred with an excellent 4/32 to dismantle Ireland and keep them to 237/9. It was a spell of typical pace and sizzle, and Ireland had no answer to him. It’ll be interesting to see if he can build on it.

Mark Adair (Ireland): Adair had a dreadful time in the second ODI, even outside of the two fumbled run-outs. He gave away a massive 51 runs in 7.5 overs, and had the worst economy rate of all Ireland’s main bowlers. It’ll be interesting to see how he bounces back from the disappointment.

Likely XIs

West Indies: Shai Hope (wk), Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard (c), Romario Shepherd, Khary Pierre, Hayden Walsh Jr, Alzarri Joseph, Sheldon Cottrell

Ireland: Paul Stirling, Garerth Delaney, Andy Balbirnie (c), William Porterfield, Kevin O’Brien, Lorcan Tucker, Simi Singh, Mark Adair, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Boyd Rankin

Prediction

Ireland to get a morale-boosting win.