Paul Stirling became the first Ireland batsman to score 6,000 one-day international runs yesterday but that’s about all the skipper had to cheer as his side were soundly beaten by the West Indies at Clontarf and had to settle for a 1-1 drawn series.

Keacy Carty led the way for the visitors with a superb 170 from 142 balls, while skipper Shai Hope made 75 in a mammoth total of 385-7, the highest ODI score by any side on Irish soil.

In reply, Cade Carmichael confirmed his class before he was bowled two short of what would have been the first of surely many half-centuries, and with two tailenders unable to bat, Ireland faded to 165-8 — 197 shy of their revised target.

One-up with one to play, Stirling again won the toss and for the second time in three days he saw his attack blown away, this time by a relentlessly strong breeze as well as by the stand-and-deliver West Indian batsman.

Carty’s 102 in Friday’s abandoned game went largely unheralded as the prelude to Matt Forde equalling the record for the fastest ODI half-century but this time there was no denying him the limelight as he cleared the ropes eight times. 

The man from Sint Maarten fell soon after, caught off Liam McCarthy, but the damage was done and the only interest left was could the West Indies would pass their previous Irish best of 381-3, made on the same Castle Avenue ground in 2019?

The answer was ‘Yes’ as Barry McCarthy relieved Peter Connell of his unwanted most expensive ODI match figures record by conceding exactly 100 from his 10 overs, although his three wickets gave the tireless seamer a high of nine for the series.

Connell conceded 0-95 from only nine overs on debut against his native New Zealand in 2008.

A third rain delay during the innings break reduced Ireland’s target to 363 from 46 overs, the unlikeliest of prospects, even before in-form Andy Balbirnie played on in the first over of the reply.

Stirling struck two sixes in the fifth over to become the 66th player to make 6,000 or more ODI runs but was then taken at slip for 26 and Ireland’s last realistic hope went when Harry Tector was bowled five balls later.

The Boys in Green will be in action again next month in Co Tyrone when they host the West Indies in a three-match T20 series at Bready but that’s all the action then until England visit Dublin for three more T20s in September.