Paul Stirling becomes first Irish batter to score 10,000 international runs as Ireland crush West Indies by 124 runs in first ODI

Paul Stirling etched his name into Irish cricket history on Wednesday, becoming the first Ireland batter to surpass 10,000 international runs during a dominant 124-run victory over the West Indies in the opening ODI in Dublin. Stirling’s composed knock of 54 off 64 balls took his career tally to 10,017 runs across formats.

"Delighted to get there. It was something I dreamt of as a kid but as a professional cricketer you can't dwell too much about it," said Stirling after reaching the milestone.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.

Stirling laid the foundation alongside fellow opener Andy Balbirnie, who struck a brilliant 112 off 138 balls, featuring nine boundaries and four sixes. Their 109-run stand set the tone, while Harry Tector added a valuable 56, powering Ireland to 303/6 after being asked to bat. Alzarri Joseph claimed two wickets for the visitors, while Matthew Forde ended with three for 68.

Who's that IPL player?

Ireland’s bowlers then ripped through the West Indies’ top order. After Evin Lewis was run out early, debutant Thomas Mayes clean bowled Windies skipper Shai Hope for two. Barry McCarthy was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4/32, including the key wicket of Forde, as the tourists were bundled out for 179 in 34.1 overs.

Paul Stirling becomes the first-ever player to cross 10,000 runs for the Ireland Men's team across formats 🙌#IREvWI pic.twitter.com/kqiLdL57zW

— ICC (@ICC) May 21, 2025

With a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, Ireland will aim to clinch it when the teams meet again on Friday.



Brief scores

• Ireland: 303/6 in 50 overs (Balbirnie 112, Tector 56, Stirling 54; Forde 3-68, A. Joseph 2-51)
• West Indies: 179 all out in 34.1 overs (Chase 55; McCarthy 4-32, Dockrell 3-21)
• Result: Ireland won by 124 runs