Dublin:John Campbell and Shai Hope set a new world record for the opening partnership in One Day Internationals (ODIs) as West Indies thrashed Ireland by 196 runs in the opening match of the Ireland Tri-Series here at Clontarf Cricket Club on late Sunday.
With the help of Campbell's 179 (137 balls, 15 fours, 6 fours) and Hope's 170 (152 balls, 22 fours, 2 sixes) runs knocks, the visitors put on 381 runs before bowling the hosts out for 185 runs. Campbell, who scored his first ODI ton, was declared Man of the match.
Earlier in the day, Ireland won the toss and asked West Indies to bat first. Campbell-Hope gave the Windies team a flying start.
En route to their 365 runs opening stand, the duo set the opening partnership record in men's cricket of 365 runs, surpassing the record of 304 runs set by Pakistan's Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in July last year. However, the duo were seven runs short of the record partnership for any wicket in a men's ODI. Their senior teammates Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels holds the record for any partnership with their 372 runs score for the second wicket against Zimbabwe in Canberra during the 2015 World Cup.
Campbell and Hope was dismissed in the same over by Barry McCarthy.
McCarthy's bowling figures of two wickets for 76 runs in 10 overs quota was the respectable one amid the Campbell-Hope's storm. In reply, Ireland got off to a worst possible start, as they lost their three early wickets for just 21 runs in 4.4 over. Then, Kevin O'Brien and Andrew Balbirnie added 131 runs for the fourth wicket, helping the host to get past 150 runs mark.
After O'Brien's (68) dismissal, who was removed by spinner Ashley Nurse, the host kept losing their wickets at regular intervals and folded for 185 runs.
For West Indies, Nurse took four wickets for 51 runs in 7.4 overs, while pacer Shannon Gabriel begged three wickets. The third team in the series is Bangladesh. (UNI)
