One Day International, Sabina Park, Jamaica:
West Indies 213-4 (44 overs) beat Ireland 219 (50 overs) by six wickets
Match scorecard

Ramnaresh Sarwan helped guide West Indies to victory

Ramnaresh Sarwan's century helped the West Indies beat Ireland in Thursday's one day game after the visitors had threatened to earn a surprise win.

Half centuries from Paul Stirling (51) and Kevin O'Brien helped Ireland post 219 all-out in Jamaica.

With the Windies chasing 213 from 45 overs, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Andre Fletcher departed quickly.

But Sarwan's unbeaten 100 and 57 for Narsingh Deonarine saw the hosts home by six wickets and six balls to spare.

The Windies, still without their Indian Premier League contingent in the World Twenty20 warm-up clash, looked in trouble after Chanderpaul and Fletcher had departed in the opening two overs to leave them on 1-2.

Tight Irish bowling continued to frustrate the hosts at Sabina Park and the Windies were struggling at 9-2 in the fifth over when rain halted play for a time.

It needed the arrival of Deonarine alongside Sarwan in the 18th over after Wavell Hinds' departure, to give impetus to the Windies as they chased the new target of 213 from 45 overs.

The duo put on 111 for the fourth wicket before Deonarine was caught by Alex Cusack off Stirling's bowling.

But Sarwan's unbeaten century and Dwayne Bravo 28 not out guided the Windies over the line with one over to spare.

After winning the toss, Irish captain William Porterfield, making his 100th appearance for his country, struck two early fours but was then dismissed for 10 in the fourth over.

Impressive batting from youngster Stirling helped Ireland reach the 50 mark by the 11th over before Andre Botha was dismissed for nine.

Stirling helped push Ireland beyond the 100 mark as he reached his half century but added only one more run before being run out in the 26th over.

Niall O'Brien was also keeping the scoring ticking along but fell one run short of a half century after being caught by David Bernard Jnr off Nikita Miller's bowling.

Alex Cusack was already in the pavilion after having contributed only a single while Gary Wilson's departure left the Irish in a degree of trouble on 151-6 in the 39th over.

However, some strong hitting from the burly Kevin O'Brien got the Irish innings back on track as they reached the 200 mark before Andrew White's dismissal for 19.

O'Brien, who blasted two sixes and three fours, joined Stirling in achieving a half century before being clean bowled for 54 at the start of the 49th over by Ravi Rampaul.

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