CRICKET ONE-DAY SERIES: ZIMBABWE JUMPED above Ireland into 10th place in the world rankings as they completed a 2-0 series victory at the Harare Sports Club with a three-wicket victory yesterday.
Phil Simmons’s side still have a chance to reverse the placings in tomorrow’s final game, but they will need a stronger performance after failing to fire on all cylinders so far on tour.
The runs have dried up on this tour for big guns William Porterfield and Niall O’Brien at the top of the order, with neither of the county-based players making it to double figures so far in the one-day series. But Simmons was more concerned with elements of his bowling attack.
“We were in a position to win both games but didn’t finish them off so you go back and see what went wrong and work on it,” he said.
“You need the rest of the bowlers to back up the front two. When the runs come easy in the middle it is not difficult for the opposition. The rest of the bowlers will have to come to the party in the last match.”
The loss of Porterfield and Niall O’Brien was offset by some big-hitting from Paul Stirling, who hit 18 runs off one Ed Rainsford over, and added 49 in a third-wicket partnership with Andre Botha.
From a strong base of 90 for two, Ireland would collapse to 139 for seven with Stirling departing for 52 from 49 balls, while Botha made 20.
With five overs to face Ireland had just 176 on the board for the loss of seven wickets, with Kevin O’Brien 33 not out off 83 balls. Calling the batting power play, the all-rounder teed off alongside Trent Johnston, adding 62 runs in the last five overs as they closed on 238 for nine.
O’Brien finished unbeaten on 73, while Johnston added a quick-fire 30, runs that would have given the bowlers hope after they went close to defending 200 in the opening game.
Zimbabwe’s reply was a patient one with opener Brendan Taylor’s 71 from 99 deliveries setting the home side on the way.
Finding it easy to pick off the singles through the middle overs, they would also show their strength in batting depth with the eight-wicket pairing of Elton Chigumbura and Graeme Cremer putting on a 47-run partnership to get them over the line with seven balls remaining.
Porterfield backed his coach’s assertion that it was an opportunity missed: “We got off to a good start, but 90 for two in 20 turned into 140 for seven. That was a massive blow. We got up to 240 thanks to Kevin and TJ but we should have got even more after the start we had.”
Harare scoreboard
Zimbabwe won the the toss and fielded
IRELAND
W Porterfield c C'bura b Rainsford9
P Stirling cb Cremer 52
N O'Brien c Williams b Mpofu 8
A Botha lbw b Utseya 20
K O'Brien not out 73
G Wilson run out 9
A White st Taibu b Utseya 0
J Mooney st Taibu b Williams 16
T Johnston c Coventry b Mpofu 30
A van der Merwe run out 8
G Dockrell not out 0
Extras (lb4, w8, nb1) 13
Total (for 9 wkts 50 overs) 238
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-42, 3-91, 4-93, 5-106, 6-107, 7-139, 8-195, 9-226.
Bowling: C Mpofu 9-0-60-2; E Rainsford 7-1-56-1; H Masakadza 4-0-16-0; P Utseya 10-0-37-2; G Cremer 10-1-26-1; S Williams 10-0-39-1.
ZIMBABWE
H Masakadza c White b K O'Brien 8
B Taylor lbw b Johnston 71
S Williams run out 21
T Taibu b Dockrell 41
C Ervine c Dockrell b K O'Brien 19
C Coventry c White b Mooney 10
E Chigumbura not out 32
P Utseya c Porterfield b vd Merwe 12
A Cremer not out 22
Extras (lb2, w1) 3
Total (for 7 wkts, 48.5 overs) 239
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-57, 3-137, 4-157, 5-161, 6-175, 7-192.
Did not bat: E Rainsford, C Mpofu.
Bowling: K O'Brien 7-0-33-2; T Johnston 9.5-1-35-1; A Botha 3-0-21-0; G Dockrell 10-0-47-1; A van der Merwe 10-0-48-1; P Stirling 4-0-22-0; A White 3-0-1-0; J Mooney 2-0-14-1.
Zimbabwe beat Ireland by 3 wkts.
