Jamaica 166 for 4 (Campbell 71) beat Ireland 161 (N O'Brien 35, Russell 3-19, Taylor 3-33) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Playing his first match for Jamaica in almost three years, Jerome Taylor produced a solid performance with 3 for 33 in a six-wicket win over Ireland at Queen's Park Oval on Monday. Taylor wiped out the tail to restrict Ireland to 161 before John Campbell's maiden List A half-century made short work of the chase to ensure Jamaica came away with a bonus point win.
Ireland won the toss and elected to bat, making one change to their line-up from Friday as Stuart Thompson entered for John Mooney. Cricket Ireland announced after the match that Mooney was returning home from the tour due to a stress-related illness. Meanwhile, Paul Stirling missed out again with an injured hamstring.
After a sedate start in which openers Niall O'Brien and captain William Porterfield put on a half-century stand, Porterfield was caught behind off David Bernard chasing a wide delivery. O'Brien top-scored with 35 but suffered a rough lbw decision against Tamar Lambert at the start of the 24th over to make it 78 for 2. Replays showed the ball appeared to be sliding down the leg side.
From there, Ireland floundered with a series of loose dismissals preventing them from building any momentum. Gary Wilson skipped down the wicket to loft Lambert straight to Andre Russell at long-on for 10. After Andrew Poynter edged Russell behind to begin the 32nd over, Alex Cusack slashed Russell two balls later to Andre McCarthy stationed on the third-man rope. The Irish frustration grew when last recognised batsman Kevin O'Brien sliced a drive off Andrew Richardson to McCarthy at point to leave Ireland at 123 for 6.
After going wicketless in his opening five-over spell to start the match, Taylor returned to claim three with clever changes of pace to bowl Ireland out in 46.1 overs. Russell bowled economically to take 3 for 19 off eight overs to earn Man of the Match honors.
Campbell got off to a slow start in his innings leading off the chase, scoring 25 off his first 45 deliveries leaving Horace Miller and Nkrumah Bonner to do most of the early damage for Jamaica. Bonner scorched the Irish attack for five boundaries in his 22 off 15 balls before he edged an attempted cut behind off Max Sorensen to the wicketkeeper Wilson to make it 52 for 2.
Campbell and Lambert then added 101 for the third wicket in a stand dominated by Campbell. He brought up his half-century off 64 balls, combining brutish slogs over midwicket with some delicate cuts and a paddle sweep in his six fours and two sixes. Both batsmen perished in the space of four balls with the score on 153, trying to hit out to finish the game.
Ireland's poor fielding also contributed to Jamaica's efficiency in chasing the runs with multiple chances being dropped. Russell smashed his fourth delivery straight to Sorensen at deep midwicket but the fielder parried the ball over the boundary in a moment that summed up Ireland's uncharacteristically poor fielding performance. Russell hit his second six two balls later to finish off the chase in just 29 overs.
