Zimpapers Logo

A FIGHTING ninth-wicket partnership of 69 between Josephine Nkomo, who scored an unbeaten 70, and Nomvelo Sibanda, was the only real comfort for Zimbabwe as they went down by 80 runs, in the second ODI against Ireland, at Harare Sports Club yesterday. 

It was a match which the tourists determined after losing the first game of the series, dominated from start to finish. 

Mary-Anne Musonda, as in the first ODI, won the toss and put the Irish in to bat, but the visiting batters took control from the outset, and never relinquished it. 

Leah Paul and Gaby Lewis, the usual opening pair, hit three boundaries between the, in the first two overs, and continued to score at a fine pace. 

After 10 overs, they had taken the score to 50 without loss, and the team hundred came up in the 20th over, with none of the bowlers able to break through. 

They took their stand to 135, in the 26th over, before Nkomo finally broke through, bowling Lewis for 65, scored off 74 balls with seven fours. 

Esther Mbofana quickly followed this up by trapping new batter, Amy Hunter, lbw for one, but this brought in Ireland captain, Laura Delany, who continued her fine form, from the first match. 

They took the score to 203 before Loreen Tshuma had Delany caught for 35 off 40 balls. Paul was approaching her century but Precious Marange got the better of her, with her score on 95, a fine innings off 118 balls and containing eight fours. 

Ireland were now 219-4, in the 41st over.

There followed a brisk partnership between Shauna Kavanagh (34 off 31 balls, the fastest of the innings) and Orla Prendergast (23 off 27), taking the score to 266 before the fifth wicket fell, in the 48th over.

Both these players were then run out, with Loryn Phiri and Ashley Ndiraya the fielders responsible. 

Sibanda bowled out Sophie McMahon for three, and the innings closed on the imposing score of 286 for seven wickets.

This is the second-highest ODI total for the Irish, behind only their 309 for two wickets against Netherlands, back in 2005.

Five Zimbabwe bowlers took a single wicket each. 

Unfortunately, the Zimbabwe opening batters, Chiedza Dhururu and Modester Mupachikwa, were unable to get on terms with the Irish bowling, and when the score after 10 overs was only 21 for no wicket, the home side had fallen well behind, the required run rate, of almost six an over.

Ireland were now on top and, in quick succession, Mupachikwa was run out for nine while Dhururu, whose 14 took 47 balls, was stumped, in trying to improve the rate.

Even Musonda could not get going, and took 17 balls to score four, before being dismissed. 

Pelagia Mujaji was next to go, six off 17 balls, at 57 for four in the 21st over.

Ndiraya did a good job, as she had to try to push the score along and score quickly at the same time, and she was finally stumped at 81 for five, having made 27 off 37 balls.

Of the Irish bowlers, Cara Murray took three wickets for 56 runs and Celeste Raack, was the most economical, with two for 23, in her 10 overs. 

The four-match series is now level at one victory each.

Scores

Ireland Women – 286-7 in 50 overs (Leah Paul 95, Gaby Lewis 65, Laura Delany 35; Josephine Nkomo 1/33, Precious Marange 1/38, Loreen Tshuma 1/44)

Zimbabwe Women – 206-9 in 50 overs (Josephine Nkomo 70*, Ashley Ndiraya 27, Nomvelo Sibanda 27; Cara Murray 3/56, Celeste Raack 2/23, Leah Paul 1/29)

Ireland Women won by 80 runs — Zimcricket