West Indies closed out the 2010 Supreme Ventures Sports Betting (SVSB) Jamaica Cricket Festival with a 16-run victory over Ireland at Sabina Park in their rain-affected Twenty20 match yesterday.

Both teams have used the tournament to assist in their preparation to compete in Group D of the T20 World Cup, to be held in the Caribbean April 30 to May 16.

The home team easily defended the target of 153 as Ireland were restricted to 136 for seven to slump to their fourth straight defeat to West Indies in the Festival.

After persistent rain in the eastern end of the island reduced the match to a 15-over-a-side affair, the Irish won the toss and opted to put the West Indies in to bat first. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who again opened the batting, was run out for nought with the score on three.

Fellow opener Andre Fletcher again showed his on-side strength with well-timed shots over the in-field before he was dismissed for 27 off 17 balls.

His dismissal brought the in-form Ramnaresh Sarwan to join Wavell Hinds at the crease and he immediately climbed into the Irish attack with crisp strokes on both sides of the wicket. Sarwan was particularly harsh on the usually miserly Paul Stirling, who he thrashed for two fours and a six in the ninth over.

Their 81-run partnership was ended when the Guyanese batsman attempted another big hit off medium pacer Alex Cusack and skied a catch to Paul Connell. His contribution was 52 from 27 balls with four fours and three sixes.

Hinds went one run later for 38 off 35 balls, which gave Ireland hope of keeping the target below 150.

This was not to be, however, as captain Darren Sammy and Narsingh Deonarine took 20 runs from the final over of the innings from Cusack to push the final score to 152 for four.

In their quest to record their first-ever T20 victory over West Indies, Ireland again showed they had no fear for their more illustrious counterparts as captain William Porterfield dispatched opening bowler Sulieman Benn’s first ball over the midwicket fence for six.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES (maximum 15 overs)

A Fletcher c *Porterfield b K O’Brien 27

S Chanderpaul run out 0

W Hinds c Johnston b Connell 38

R Sarwan c Connell b Cusack 52

D Sammy not out 19

N Deonarine not out 8

Extras (lb4, w3, nb1) 8

TOTAL (4 wkts, 15 overs) 152

D Bernard Jr, +D Ramdin, N Miller, S. Benn, R. Rampaul did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-39, 3-120, 4-121

Bowling: Connell 3-0-25-1, Johnston 3-0-21-0, K. O’Brien 2-0-28-1, Cusack 3-0-29-1, Stirling 2-0-19-0, Jones 2-0-26-0

IRELAND (target: 153 off 15 overs)

*W Porterfield c Rampaul b Bernard 25

P Stirling c Chanderpaul b Rampaul 4

N O’Brien c Bernard b Sammy 9

K O’Brien c Fletcher b Deonarine 13

T Johnston c Sammy b Rampaul 39

N Jones c Chanderpaul b Benn 21

J Mooney not out 9

G Wilson c Miller b Rampaul 10

A Cusack not out 3

Extras (lb2, w1) 3

TOTAL (7 wkts, 15 overs) 136

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-38, 3-45, 4-53, 5-109, 6-114, 7-124

Bowling: Benn 3-0-28-1, Rampaul 3-0-26-3, Bernard 3-0-14-1, Sammy 2-0-25-1, Miller 2-0-17-0, Deonarine 2-0-24-1

Result: West Indies won by 16 runs

Toss: Ireland

Umpires: N Malcolm, L Thompson