Ireland win Pool B match by four wickets
Ireland 307-6 won with 25 balls to spare
Stirling 92, Joyce 84 and Niall O'Brien 79*
Simmons 102 and Sammy 89 in WI's 304-7
Dockrell 3-50 reduced Windies to 87-5
Venue: Saxton Oval, Nelson, New Zealand
Image source, Getty ImagesIreland 61-0 off 10 overs (target 305)
West Indies 304-7 (run-rate: 6.08) - Simmons 102, Sammy 89; Dockrell 3-50
Not out batsmen: Porterfield 18, Stirling 33
Bowling figures: Holder 5-1-16-0, Roach 3-0-26-0, Taylor 2-0-15-0
Stirling plays with a beautifully straight bat, doesn't hit it too hard, just uses the pace of Taylor and strokes it through the gap between extra cover for four. The Windies had stuttered to 40-2 after the compulsory 10 powerplay overs of their innings. Five fours and two sixes for the Irish already.
A wide for both leg-side angle and perhaps also height from Holder as the Windies persist with the short-pitched approach, which has hardly been fruitful thus far. Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle can provide some spin but if Sammy is unable to bowl as is feared, the options are a little alarming.
Cricinfo reporter Andrew McGlashan on Twitter, external in Nelson: Sammy unlikely to bowl in this innings. His medium pace could have been useful.
The West Indies all-rounder appeared to be struggling with a back injury during his innings.
Image source, APThe smaller but powerfully built Jerome Taylor comes into the attack and surprises Stirling with a lifting short ball that evades his attempted pull and thuds into the side of his grille. A replacement helmet is called for and the bearded opener is fit to continue, clipping the next ball calmly for two more runs. Then when Taylor tests him with another bouncer he swats it without looking at the ball a la IT Botham at Old Trafford in 1981 for six over fine-leg. What a start.
Garry MacDonald
Former Canterbury spinner and coach on BBC Test Match Special
"Jason Holder reminds me of the battery of West Indies fast bowlers in the 1970s. He's the same build - a very tall man with very long legs - and with the same action."
Holder has taken 62% of his wickets against the top order but that doesn't look likely to improve any time soon, four more byes adding to the total when a looping bouncer drifts down the leg-side and out of the reach of the diving wicketkeeper Ramdin. The 23-year-old skipper will surely be anxious, not only about his bowling, but by the start the Irish openers have made.
Image source, Getty ImagesFour more to Porterfield as Roach is guilty of dropping short again. The paceman has gone for 26 from his opening three overs. This opening attack must rank as one of the most innocuous of recent years. Quite what Geoffrey would make of it I dread to think.
Garry MacDonald
Former Canterbury spinner and coach on BBC Test Match Special
"Kemar Roach is just bowling a little bit too short. His captain will be a bit disappointed with his opening salvo. The Irish are going along nicely - they couldn't have asked for a better start."
Better from captain Holder, beating Porterfield with some movement away from the left-hander. A single deprives him of the first maiden, and despite that sketchy start there were only two in the West Indies innings. At the same stage, they were 21-0.
Image source, Getty ImagesAustralia all-rounder James Faulkner will miss another World Cup match after being ruled out of the second group game against Bangladesh with injury.
The 24-year-old suffered a side strain in the lead-up to the tournament and missed Australia's opening win over England in Melbourne on Saturday.
"I've no chance for Bangladesh, I can tell you that," said Faulkner. "Time's sort of flown a bit, but hopefully I'm back sooner rather than later."
I must admit I thought there might have been some early wickets after that late barrage from the Windies but I should have know not to under-estimate the Irish. A beautiful punched drive down the ground brings Stirling another boundary. A watching Curtly Ambrose is stretching his long legs in a light blue West Indies leisure suit and I am convinced he would still present more threat than members of the present day attack.
No alarms for the batsmen, Stirling cutting the first four of the innings, Holder unable to trouble either player.
Image source, Getty ImagesKemar Roach, in for the injured giant slow left-armer Sulieman Benn today, takes the other new ball, his thick gold chain gleaming in the afternoon sunshine. A stiffish breeze is blowing across the perfectly manicured chequered outfield. Hesitation amongst the batsmen but no disaster, and then Porterfield pulls a mighty six, holding the pose for the cameras. Hardly overawed the Irish are they?
Cricket statistician S Rajesh on Twitter:, external 218 runs scored by numbers 6-9 in the West Indies innings. Only once [in the World Cup] have No. 6 and lower batsmen scored more - India v Zimbabwe in 1983.
Not the most auspicious of starts from Holder, the opening delivery a Harmison-esque wide that evades Chris Gayle at first slip and races away for five wides. A left and right hand opening combination for Ireland with skipper Will Porterfield and thickset Paul Stirling both getting off the mark. Ahead of the run-rate already.
We're ready to resume in the sunshine at the picturesque Saxton Oval. West Indies captain Jason Holder has the new ball and will bowl to counterpart Will Porterfield.
Duncan Garrett:, external So Sammy and Simmons mean the bat first, score 300+ and defend World Cup continues. May I suggest England bat first next time?
