Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

Sikandar Raza
Sikandar Raza
65(42) 5x4 - 2x6
Control %71%
  • Productive Shot
  • pull
  • 17 runs
  • 2x4 - 0x6
0 14 9 4 10 1 6 21
A Balbirnie
A Balbirnie
32(25) 6x4 - 1x6
Control %56%
  • Productive Shot
  • square drive
  • 11 runs
  • 1x4 - 1x6
0 0 1 15 12 0 0 4

Best performances - Bowlers

Sikandar Raza
Sikandar Raza
O4
M0
R28
W3
Eco7.00
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
1W1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
JB Little
JB Little
O4
M0
R17
W2
Eco4.25
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W

Match Details

Toss

Zimbabwe , elected to field first

Player Of The Match

Series result

Zimbabwe led the 3-match series 1-0

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

18.30 start, First Session 18.30-20.00, Interval 20.00-20.20, Second Session 20.20-21.50

Match days

7 December 2023 - night match (20-over match)

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Scorer: Ranjith P | Commentator: @Sudarshanan7

END OF OVER:
20 | 9 Runs 1 Wkt | ZIM: 148/9 | RR: 7.40

  • Blessing Muzarabani2 (1b)
  • Trevor Gwandu5 (5b)
  • Barry McCarthy4-0-37-2
  • Mark Adair4-0-36-2

Right! That's all from us for tonight. Fingers do need some rest now, with the kind of end we have had. Do join us for the second T20I day after tomorrow. For tonight, on behalf of Ranjit and Abhimanyu, this is Sudarshanan bidding you goodbye. Thanks for your company. Till the next time, take care, adios!

10:18pm Time for the presentation

Paul Stirling, Ireland captain: "First of all it was a brilliant game. Hopefully we entertained the spectators here. Close game. You can point the loss at different directions but it was a good game. Not one area but we'll have a good look at different facts. We lost wickets in crucial points. Should have got to 160. We'll assess and come back better. [Bowlers] We picked up wickets at crucial points. That's how you close T20 games. A run here and there was crucial. [Adair catch] We work that out and it is not easy, especially at a new venue under lights."

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza, Player of the Match: "Nice to be part of history. Credit to fans for coming out in numbers. First game under lights, cracker of a game. Thought they got five to eight too many. Credit to Delany to have batted the way he did. Happy with the chase, credit to the batters. Made mistakes here and there but important that we got over the line. I am never a guy who looks into personal performances. I was gutted to have not finished the game. The little knock from Clive Madande was very crucial. Wessly got out at a wrong time. Pretty happy and proud of my team. Just wanted to tell Madande that if you remain positive, you'll see the ball better. When you give responsibility to these guys they do well. Everything that happens stays on the field."

10:08pm Hold your breath. Uff! Let that drama sink in. A game for the ages. Ireland players walk off fully knowing they were a millimeter away from taking the lead this series. Zimbabwe players walk down to shake hands, fully aware that had Muzarabani attempted any othre shot, the win would have prolly not been theirs. A game of fine margins. A historic first international game under floodlights at the Harare Sports Club and sure it has been a memorable one.

Spare a thought for Little and Young, who bowled some tight overs even as the game was getting tight with Zimbabwe having their noses ahead. Little knocked over the aggressive Madande to turn the tables. And then Adair struck what seemed like a telling blow with Raza's scalp. McCarthy kept his calm in crucial phases but it was just not enough. Zimbabwe have escaped to a win but will have to take a hard look at their batting, that once again cost them. It was all Raza with the bat after it was all Raza with the ball earlier, with a three-for.

Graham: "Wow, what a match !!! Congrats Zim"

Panashe: "Shhhhhhh this is one of the greatest escape from Zim"

19.6
2
McCarthy to Muzarabani, 2 runs, Inside edge, beats Tucker and Zimbabwe win! It is all happening and Harare finds its voice. Under lights for the first time. Ufff! McCarthy bowls to plan - full and just outside off. Muzarabani looks to hit one way but the ball goes the other. The wicketkeeper gets down but the ball beats him. And before fine leg cuts it off, they run two and seal the win that sees Zimbabwe go 1-0 up!

Adair is off the field. A lonnnggg team chat at the bowler's mark even as Blessing Muzarabani takes strike. Two to win, one for a Super Over. McCarthy taking his own sweet time to set his field. Short cover, mid-off, backward point, cover-point, midwicket, fine leg all in the ring. Long-on and deep backward square leg out. Wait, fine leg goes out

19.5
W
McCarthy to Ngarava, OUT, YOU CANNOT DO THAT MARK ADAIR! You cannot do that. Adair has pulled out one of the greatest catches in the sport. No exaggeration. McCarthy bowls another off-pace length ball angling away, instead of working it through the on side, Ngarava goes for the big heave across the line and gets a thick outside edge. Seems to have made enough contact to beat short third running back. But Adair, while doing so, has his eyes on the ball, leaps, dives takes it and lands on his neck. A calm clap from the bowler even as Adair gathers himself

R Ngarava c Adair b McCarthy 5 (8m 4b 1x4 0x6) SR: 125.00

Conference. McCarthy, Little, Stirling. Midwicket comes in, and then goes back out. Long-on goes back, fine leg back, deep backward square leg back

19.4
4
McCarthy to Ngarava, FOUR, Swings it through the leg side. Ngarava, you beauty. Gets the Harare crowd back on its feet. Sees the length ball from McCarthy around middle and leg. Gives it the almighty heave through square leg. Slower offcutter, change of pace, nothing matters for Ngarava and his agricultural pull
19.3
1
McCarthy to Gwandu, 1 run, Cracking sound off the bat, when he heaved the length ball across the line. But it was hit straight to deep midwicket
19.2
2
McCarthy to Gwandu, 2 runs, Slaps it over the bowler's head, and they run back for two. Another slower length ball outside off, he thwacks it almost straight to the bowler
19.1
0
McCarthy to Gwandu, no run, Length ball outside off, the slower one, he has a swing but misses

Superb over from Adair leaves Zimbabwe with 9 to get in the final over. McCarthy with the responsibility for Ireland.

Zimbabwe 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st15W MadhevereT Marumani
2nd6SC WilliamsW Madhevere
3rd32Sikandar RazaW Madhevere
4th38Sikandar RazaRP Burl
5th6Sikandar RazaBJ Bennett
6th35Sikandar RazaC Madande
7th3Sikandar RazaLM Jongwe
8th2Sikandar RazaT Gwandu
9th9R NgaravaT Gwandu
10th2B MuzarabaniT Gwandu