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HARARE, Zimbabwe – A quintessential all-round team performance has seen Ireland Men beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in another final over thriller, to level the three-match T20 International series in front of a boisterous home crowd at the Harare Sports Club

Like Thursday’s opening match of the series, it came down to the 20^th over of the second innings to decide the match – this time, it was Ireland requiring seven off the last six balls. Mark Adair (19) was caught out on the boundary, however George Dockrell (16) sealed the win with a boundary just moments after he had been dropped in the field.

With the bat, six of Ireland’s batters reached double figures – Harry Tector top scoring with 48, while with the ball there were wickets for Adair, Craig Young, Gareth Delany and Curtis Campher.    

Ahead of the game it was announced by the ICC that Zimbabwean captain Sikandar Raza would be banned for the next two T20Is due to accumulating four demerit points – two of those coming from the opening game of the series, following an altercation with Josh Little and Campher – with Sean Williams taking over as captain. Allrounder Tinashe Kamunhukamwe came in for Raza.

There was one change to the Ireland line-up, with Barry McCarthy replaced by Theo van Woerkom who was making his T20 International debut.

Paul Stirling, who won the toss and put Zimbabwe into bat, was immediately rewarded when Adair struck with just his second delivery, trapping Marumani lbw. Adair struck again with the last ball of the third over, removing Wessly Madhevere (9) with a well directed bouncer, thanks to a catch by Andrew Balbirnie at midwicket.

Runs began to flow, before Campher claimed the wicket of stand-in skipper Williams (17). The home side was then 65-3 after 7 overs.

Tinashe Kamunhukamwe took full advantage of his opportunity back in the starting line-up, scoring a composed 39, before Delany removed his middle stump a couple of overs later, with Zimbabwe 77-4.

Some tight bowling through the middle overs from Campher, Young and Little slowed the run rate – however, a sixth-wicket partnership of 86* between left-hander Ryan Burl (38*) and right-hander Clive Madande (44*) saw Zimbabwe post a total of 165-5 from their 20 overs.

In reply, Ireland’s opening pair fell cheaply – Stirling (10) played on, while Balbirnie (8) was caught behind by Madande off the bowling of right-armer Muzarabani. Lorcan Tucker (12) then fell to Gwandu while reaching for a shorter delivery, chipping it straight to Muzarabani, but Tector dug in, and alongside Campher kept the scoreboard ticking over as theysteadily built a partnership – moving onto 84-3 at the midway point of the innings.

After 14 overs Ireland were ahead of the hosts score at the same stage of their innings. However, in came spinner Brian Bennett, and when Campher (37) tried to blast one over long on, he caught it softly and the ball fell into the grateful hands of Luke Jongwe. His 66-run partnershipwith Tector setting the table for an Irish victory.

But these games are never easily won, and Zimbabwe once again bounced back. Ngarava knocked back Tector’s middle stump with a brilliant delivery, as the momentum swung back in Zimbabwe’s favour. With Ireland requiring 37 runs off the final four overs Adair joined Dockrell in the middle. They combined for 30 runs to leave Ireland closing in on victory, and Dockrell supplied the finish with two balls to spare.

The series will be on the line when the sides meet again at the same venue tomorrow, 10 December, at 11am Ireland time.  

MATCH SUMMARY

Zimbabwe v Ireland, 2nd T20 International, Harare Sports Club, Harare, Zimbabwe, 9 December 2023

Zimbabwe 165-5 (20 overs; C Madande 44*, T. Kamunhukamwe 39; M Adair 2-28)
Ireland 166-6 (19.4 overs; H Tector 48, C Campher 37; 2-33 R Ngarava)

Ireland won by 4 wickets

See full scorecard