West Indies Women produced a commanding all-round performance to begin their 2026 tour of Ireland with a convincing nine-wicket victory over Ireland Women in the opening ODI at Bready Cricket Club, Magheramason. Chasing a competitive target of 270, captain Hayley Matthews delivered a breathtaking unbeaten 159, while Realeanna Grimmond struck a composed 91 as the visitors completed the chase with 68 balls to spare and took a 1-0 lead in the series.
Amy Hunter’s brilliant 96 lifts Ireland to competitive total
After electing to bowl first, West Indies Women made early inroads when Sarah Forbes departed for 11. However, Ireland found stability through Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter, with Lewis contributing a fluent 39 off 48 balls, including six boundaries.
Hunter then took charge of the innings with a superb knock of 96 from just 90 deliveries. Falling agonisingly short of a deserved century, the right-hander struck 10 fours and a six while keeping the scoreboard moving throughout the middle overs. She received useful support from Orla Prendergast, who scored 30 off 33 balls, while Rebecca Stokell chipped in with 20.
Lower down the order, Louise Little added valuable late runs with a brisk 27 off 29 deliveries that included two sixes, helping Ireland post a challenging total of 269 before being bowled out in the 49th over.
For West Indies Women, experienced leg-spinner Afy Fletcher starred with the ball, returning impressive figures of 4 for 49 from her 10 overs. Captain Matthews also made a significant contribution by claiming three wickets for 52, while Karishma Ramharack and Jannillea Glasgow picked up one wicket each.
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Hayley Matthews and Realeanna Grimmond make light work of the chase
West Indies Women made a confident start to the chase and never allowed Ireland’s bowlers to settle. Matthews played one of the finest ODI innings of her career, smashing an unbeaten 159 off just 123 balls. The skipper dominated the attack with 24 boundaries and two towering sixes, combining elegance with aggression to keep the required rate firmly under control.
Matthews found an ideal partner in Realeanna Grimmond, who produced a mature knock of 91 from 107 deliveries. Grimmond struck 11 fours and rotated the strike effectively as the pair stitched together a massive partnership that completely took the game away from Ireland. Ireland finally broke the stand when Louise Little dismissed Grimmond for 91, but the wicket came far too late to spark any comeback. Veteran batter Stafanie Taylor remained unbeaten on 2 as Matthews sealed the victory in emphatic fashion, guiding West Indies Women to 270 for 1 in just 38.4 overs.
Ireland’s bowling attack struggled to contain the visitors on a batting-friendly surface. Little claimed the only wicket to fall, while the rest of the bowlers went wicketless despite disciplined efforts in patches. For her outstanding all-round display, highlighted by a match-winning unbeaten 159 and three wickets with the ball, Matthews was deservedly named Player of the Match. The two teams will now return to Bready Cricket Club for the second ODI on Sunday, July 12, with Ireland aiming to level the series and West Indies looking to wrap it up early.
Dominating victory for West Indies in the 1st ODI 👌#IREvWI #HayleyMatthews #WestIndies pic.twitter.com/UsOmawTUfa
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) July 11, 2026
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
