Fri Apr 11 07:10:00 UTC 2025: ## West Indies Women Defeat Ireland in World Cup Warm-up
**Dubai:** West Indies Women secured a comfortable victory over Ireland Women in their first official warm-up match ahead of the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers. Skipper Hayley Matthews (55) and veteran Stafanie Taylor (53*) both scored half-centuries to guide their team to a 252/5 total, surpassing Ireland’s 248/8.
Ireland, electing to bat first, enjoyed a strong start thanks to openers Sarah Forbes and Gaby Lewis (45 retired hurt), putting on 68 runs. However, a mid-innings slump saw them slip to 90/3 before Laura Delaney (67*), Leah Paul (46), and Cara Murray (28*) steered them to a respectable total. Matthews took 3-62 for the Windies, while Afy Fletcher and Karishma Ramharack each claimed two wickets.
In response, Matthews and Zaida James (47) provided a solid foundation with a 90-run opening partnership. Despite a brief wobble after Matthews’ dismissal – and a hat-trick by Cara Murray (3-73) – Taylor and Shabika Gajnabi (25) steadied the ship with a crucial 55-run stand. Jannillea Glasgow’s unbeaten 11 alongside Taylor ensured a comfortable win for the West Indies.
First Piper 