Deadline: May 5, 2019 at 3.15 PM IST
Venue: Clontarf Cricket Club Ground, Dublin
Pitch report
Rain is expected to play spoilsport on Sunday in Dublin. To make matters worse, the temperature will be as low as 11 degrees. Such conditions are a delight for fast bowlers. With some moisture in the wicket, we will witness significant lateral movement.
The average first and second innings scores at the venue read 263 and 264 respectively. The highest total registered here is 271 for 5 by Bangladesh against New Zealand.
Probable XI for Ireland: William Porterfield (c), Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker, Kevin O’Brien, Gary Wilson (wk), George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Tim Murtagh, Josh Little, Boyd Rankin
Probable XI for West Indies: Sunil Ambris, John Campbell, Shai Hope (wk), Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Jonathan Carter/Raymon Reifer, Jason Holder, Ashley Nurse, Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach, Sheldon Cottrell
Fantasy team
We have opted for a fantasy cricket team on the basis of players’ impact, recent performances, and credit points.
Note that you can, now, change your team after the toss. You can also check players’ performances in the last 5 matches. Tap on the players’ names to get the data while making your fantasy team. Also look out for promotions to hit jackpot.
My XI: Shai Hope (wk), Kevin O’Brien, Andy Balbirnie, Darren Bravo, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Jason Holder (vc), Paul Stirling (c), Kemar Roach, Sheldon Cottrell, Joshua Little
Preview
Ireland’s one-off ODI against England, on Friday, turned out to be a close encounter. England, the favourites to lift the upcoming World Cup, were given a tough time by a team that failed to qualify for the marquee tournament.
Ireland managed 198 in tough batting conditions. Stirling, Balbirnie, Dockrell, and Adair did remarkably well to keep the scorecard ticking. And when they came to bowl, they looked confident of bundling out the batting-heavy English side. They did it for the first half, reducing the visitors to 66 for 5. However, it was the same old problem, that they could not hold on to their nerves. Foakes and Curran took the game away from them. Little was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 for 45. Ireland will have to find a way to not succumb to pressure in the tri-series.
West Indies, on the other hand, will play without their key players: Chris Gayle and Andre Russell ae busy playing in the 2019 IPL. That said, they still have players who can single-handedly win games for them. Their biggest strength is their pace trio of Gabriel, Roach, and Cottrell, who were at their mightiest against England at home earlier this year.
Their batting comprises of the ever-improving Hope and the stylish Campbell. The onus of piling runs at the top will be on them.
What makes West Indies more threatening than their opposition are their all-rounders: captain Holder was their highest wicket-taker in Tests last year, while Chase is handy with his off-spinners, and it is needless to shed light on their batting skills.
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