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Liam McCarthy breaks this unwanted T20I record of James Anderson
16 Jun 2025

Ireland's Liam McCarthy has broken a long-standing record held by England's James Anderson, for the most expensive spell on T20I debut among bowlers from full-member nations.

In his first match for Ireland, against West Indies in Bready, Northern Ireland, the right-arm pacer conceded a staggering 81 runs across four wicket-less overs.

This performance eclipsed Anderson's previous record of 64 runs in his debut match against Australia back in 2007.

McCarthy's nightmarish spell on debut
Match details

In the third T20I match at Bready Cricket Club, McCarthy had a rough start as he was hit for 21 runs in his first over.

He then went on to concede 24 runs in the ninth over, struggling with his line and lengths throughout.

The right-arm bowler ended up giving away 81 runs without taking a wicket in his four overs.

McCarthy was hit for 11 fours and five sixes, managing just three dot deliveries.

Most expensive spells on T20I debut
Record ranking

Not just on debut, McCarthy's 81-run spell also ranks as the second most expensive in T20I cricket history.

The record for the most expensive spell is held by Musa Jobarteh of Gambia, who had given away 93 runs in his four overs against Zimbabwe in 2024.

Sri Lanka's Kasun Rajitha comes third with a costly spell of 75 runs against Australia back in 2019.

West Indies posted their 2nd-highest total in T20Is
Match outcome

Amid McCarthy's poor performance, the West Indies team posted a mammoth total of 256/5 in their 20 overs. This was their second-highest total in T20I history.

Evin Lewis narrowly missed his century with a blistering 44-ball knock of 91 runs, while captain Shai Hope chipped in with a quickfire 51 off just 27 balls.

In response, Ireland could only manage 194/7.