West Indies Dominate to Close Out the Series
West Indies Women rounded off their tour of Ireland in convincing fashion on Wednesday, 15th July 2026, defeating the hosts by 64 runs in the third and final women's ODI at Magheramason, Bready. Having won the toss and been put in to bat by Gaby Lewis's side, West Indies posted a challenging 257 all out from their full allocation of 50 overs. Ireland, despite a spirited effort in the field, fell well short in reply, dismissed for 193 in 43.1 overs. For those following the outright series markets, this result will have come as little surprise given the gulf in class between the two sides, and it will likely reinforce West Indies' standing as strong favourites heading into any forthcoming bilateral fixtures.
Taylor's Brilliant Knock Sets the Platform
The centrepiece of the West Indies innings was a superb contribution from Stafanie Taylor, who fell just short of a century, run out by Little for 105 from 113 balls. Her innings, laced with ten boundaries and two sixes, was the backbone of the West Indies total. Taylor's dismissal came at 257 for ten in the final over, underlining how she batted deep into the innings. Hayley Matthews, the West Indies captain, was removed early — caught by Hunter off Prendergast for just 6 — but her team recovered impressively. Claxton contributed a useful 30 from 43 balls, while Alleyne struck a brisk 33 from 30, and Ramharack remained unbeaten on 5 to close out the innings. Ireland's best bowler on the day was Orla Prendergast, who returned figures of two wickets for 37 from ten overs, with Jane Maguire and Georgina Dempsey also taking two wickets apiece.
Ireland's Batting Falters Despite Lewis's Effort
Chasing 258 for victory, Ireland made a poor start when Sarah Forbes was trapped lbw by Glasgow for just 2 in the fourth over. However, Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter steadied the ship with a second-wicket stand that grew to a partnership worth 71 runs before Lewis was caught by Dottin off Fletcher for 50. Hunter added 30 before she too fell to Fletcher, leaving Ireland at 86 for three in the 18th over. From that point, the Irish innings never truly recovered. Leah Paul top-scored for Ireland from the lower-middle order with 32, but wickets continued to tumble with regularity. Karishma Ramharack proved the pick of the West Indies attack in Ireland's innings, claiming three wickets for 33 runs from just over six overs. Afy Fletcher was equally impressive, finishing with three wickets for 33 from her full ten overs at an economy rate of 3.30.
A Series to Build On Despite the Defeat
From a coaching perspective, there are positives for Ireland to take from this series, even if the results didn't go their way. The performance of Lewis as captain and Prendergast with the ball both stand out as genuine bright spots. Ireland did manage to bowl West Indies out for 257, which shows they can be competitive, but the batting line-up needs greater depth and consistency if they are to challenge the top sides in women's cricket. West Indies, meanwhile, will be satisfied with a professional series display that underlines their quality. For Irish supporters and those betting on the women's game, expect this Ireland side to continue developing — but they will need significant improvement in the middle order before they can genuinely compete for series wins against opposition of this calibre.
