West Indies batsman Keacy Carty should have been basking in the full glory of his second One Day International (ODI) century, but instead, he was left with mixed emotions due to one unwelcome variable, the rain.
Carty's knock, an elegant, well-constructed 102 off 109 deliveries, was crafted with 13 boundaries and a six, as it anchored a powerful West Indies innings that soared to 352-8 against Ireland on Friday. But before Carty and company could challenge the Irish with the ball, weather intervened, and the 28-year-old from St. Maarten was left ruing what could have been.
"It is kind of tough because in the first one (century), it was for a winning cause—we won that game and the series. I’m grateful I got this second century, but I wish the game was played out and we came out on top, so it’s kind of hard to gauge which one is better for me. But I’m grateful for both," Carty said post-match.
His previous hundred, an unbeaten 128 against England in Barbados, is part of a high point in Carty’s growing ODI career. But this latest innings, though statistically impressive, left something to be desired emotionally.
The West Indies entered the second ODI eager to respond after a lacklustre performance with the bat in the series opener, which they lost by 124 runs. Carty said the team regrouped quickly and made necessary adjustments.
"We planned on how to counteract what they were doing to us, for our respective skills as batters. Everyone plays differently, so we had a few methods that we went through in training to see what works best for who, and we applied that today (Friday)," he explained.
Carty’s measured start gave way to a more aggressive display once he reached his half-century. His ability to change gears mid-innings was evident and instrumental to building momentum.
"We all know it’s difficult to start, so the toughest thing is just to try and get in and then excel in your innings. I would have liked to push on a bit earlier, but it’s a tough pitch, so you just had to stick with it and trust your skills," Carty shared.
Interestingly, Carty’s form in ODIs has been one of the few consistent pillars in an otherwise unpredictable West Indies setup. He finished 2024 as one of the team’s leading ODI run scorers with 560 runs, and he has already started 2025 with another milestone knock.
"I would definitely credit it to my preparation,” he said when asked about the transformation in his white-ball game.
"I'm focusing on the key specifics that you need to excel in ODI cricket, both for myself and for the team, and just trusting the process," he added.
With Ireland still holding a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, Sunday’s final match in Dublin still presents an opportunity for a series draw and for West Indies to gather momentum ahead of their next assignment against England.
"Hopefully we can repeat a similar batting performance, better our bowling performance, and at least draw the series,” Carty said.
"The last time we played Ireland in the Caribbean, they came out on top. So we want to play one good game of cricket. Today (Friday) was half a game with plenty of positives, so if we can close out the series well, that would be good going into the England series," he ended.