Bernard Whittaker:, external Ireland are showing again the potential of this team and how they deserve Test status. Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have regressed.

Part-time tweak from both ends as Chris Gayle trundles back into the attack. The Irish batsmen are doing exactly the right thing, picking singles, running hard, and busy batting earns them another five runs.

Ireland 186-2 off 30 overs (target 305)

West Indies 304-7: Simmons 102, Sammy 89; Dockrell 3-50

Not out batsmen: Joyce 54, N O'Brien 6

Fall of wickets: 1-71 (Porterfield 23), 2-177 (Stirling 92)

Bowling figures: Holder 7-1-24-0, Roach 4-0-38-0, Taylor 3-0-33-0, Russell 4-0-20-0, Gayle 6-0-26-1, Sammy 3-0-25-0, Samuels 2-0-10-1

Match scorecard

Listen to Radio 5 live sports extra commentary

Conor Whelan:, external Had a little 45 minute nap mid innings. Up and ready to cheer the Irish on before work at 7am. I might be a tad tired later on!

Ooh, Niall O'Brien has got away with one here. He tries to cut Samuels square but gets a healthy top edge which flies past Darren Sammy at slip and runs away to the boundary. Not a flicker from Samuels, who would be a formidable opponent across the poker table.

Image source, AP

Jason Holder, whose figures are a none-too-shabby 0-21 off his six overs, returns, and again he keeps the Ireland batsmen on a tighter leash than most of his more established colleagues, conceding just three runs from his latest over.

Niall O'Brien is the new man. Big responsibility on Ed Joyce's shoulders. That partnership was worth 106, by the way.

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"He had the physio on for cramp and he's never been the same since. It was pushed across him, realising Stirling's feet were going nowhere but it was a fantastic innings, he's put Ireland in a really good position."

Image source, AP

Paul Stirling's magnificent knock is over. Samuels slides one across the batsmen, who lazily tickles it into wicket-keeper Ramdin's gloves. Samuels looks utterly nonplussed by that success. 'Don't Dream It's Over' blares out over the tannoy, and this match certainly isn't over yet.

Samuels drops short and Joyce flat-bats him through the covers to bring up his fifty. But then...

Captain Holder is back into the attack. Can he find a wicket? He nearly does! A short ball gets Ed Joyce fending off his hips to fine leg, where Darren Bravo running round, can't cling on and the ball trickles over the rope for four. Hundred stand up for these two, and that could be a big moment in this match.

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"Ireland are going to have to do something catastrophically wrong and the West Indies are going to have to pull a bit of magic out of the hat. If these two are batting in 15 overs, 100% Ireland will win the game."

Henry Ellison:, external One bonus about staying up late to watch is the increased odds of being mentioned on the BBC cricket feed. Ireland to win at a canter?

Look up 'unflustered' in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of Marlon Samuels - is he the man to stop the rot? The super-cool Jamaican rattles though a quick over of part-time tweak for the loss of four runs. West Indies were 99-5 at this stage.

Tom Mackley:, external Stirling looks quality. Could we swap him into the English side for another Irish batsman?

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"Paul Stirling does have cramp. It's not just the batting, he's fielded for 50 overs and bowled as well. He's not the slightest fellow on the pitch and it's just catching up with him a bit."

Jerome Taylor makes a rather odd sight bowling in his sleeveless sweater, and he'll be sweating on this as Stirling fetches one from outside off and swings it to cow corner for four. Taylor then sends down a short ball with about as much venom as a pet gerbil and Stirling swats him disdainfully over mid-wicket for a mighty six. And it gets better for Ireland! Taylor strays leg-side and Stirling clips him to the rope, and with the bowler rattled, the last ball of the over is too short and gets the treatment, clobbered through square leg. Four consecutive boundaries, 18 off the over.

How's Jason Holder's head? 22 years old, captaining his country on the global stage, and staring down the possibility of an ignominious upset. He turns to his predecessor Darren Sammy for some more military medium. No let-up in the Irish assault though. First Sammy overpitches and Joyce smacks him through the covers for four, then he drops too short and Joyce pulls him to the fence at mid-wicket. And he adds another boundary for good measure with a cute flick to third man. Ireland on the charge.

Image source, AP

Kemar Roach is recalled to the attack, and boy is Paul Stirling delighted to see him. His first ball disappears into the stands at long-on with a vicious swing of Stirling's meaty arms. Then Roach drops too short again and Stirling frees those arms once more, clattering a pull to the cow-corner boundary. 12 runs from another productive over by Ireland.

Chris Gayle continues with his right-arm trundle. West Indies have not fielded as well as Ireland, and they give away another sloppy run with a misfield when Stirling squirts one to square-leg. Four from the over.