Shamarh Brooks, who made his ODI career debut at the age of 33, became the second West Indian player after Desmond Haynes to register a century on debut.
His unbeaten 93 runs innings helped them defeat Ireland by 24 runs at Sabina Park on Saturday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.
Match Summary – West Indies Vs Ireland
The West Indies were all out for 269 on the penultimate ball before Ireland was dismissed for 245 at the start of their final over.
After their side was reduced to 62-4, Brooks and Windies skipper Kieron Pollard collaborated for 155 runs in the nineteenth over. Off-Spinner, Andy McBrine claimed two wickets in two overs.
The Irish bowled effectively in general, with medium-pacers Mark Adair and Craig Young both getting three wickets.
The West Indies played for 12 overs without hitting a single boundary as Brooks and Pollard took their turns.
Pollard blasted four sixes in six balls, including three consecutive sixes at over midwicket, long-on, and reverse square leg against McBrine.
After 69 off 66 balls, he was out in the 42nd over, top-edging a pull to the long-on caught by Young.
Brooks was lbw to Adair in the 45th over. He scored a superb 93 off 89 balls, including nine boundaries and three sixes.
Ireland Innings
After William Porterfield went for a duck and McBrine retired injured on 34 after getting stuck in the cap barbecue, captain Andy Balbirnie and Harry Tector established a good stage even as the run rate crept up.
Balbirnie, though, was out three balls later in a new over by Romario Shepherd, jabbing at a ball and creeping behind after being struck on the wrist by Odean Smith. Balbirnie was out for 71 from 94 balls, bringing the total to 103.
Tector was out in the next over for 53 from 68 balls, attempting to slice and top-edging Smith to Roston Chase on the boundary.
Ireland never recovered with both set batsmen out by the 38th over. Shepherd and Alzarri Joseph each had taken three wickets.
The series returns to Kingston on Tuesday and Friday, followed by the T20 match.
Shamarh Brooks career
As a skipper of West Indies A, he scored 91 and 122* against India A during a visit to England. A year later, two fifties against identical opponents earned him a berth in the West Indies team for the home series against India.
He made his test debut against India on the 22nd of August 2019. In his short career of 8 matches in tests, he has scored 422 runs in 15 innings with an average of 28.13.
Covid Struck in Ireland Camp
Ireland commenced a bilateral series with the United States in Fort Lauderdale without Paul Stirling, Simi Singh, and Ben White – all of whom had been infected with the Covid.
