Zimpapers Logo

BREADY. — It was six or bust for Craig Young off the final ball of Ireland’s chase, and bust it was.

Richard Ngarava held his nerve — hitting a length to make sure ball missed bat, and then making sure his underarm throw caught non-striker Josh Little short, to ensure Zimbabwe finished the T20I series with a consolation five-run win on Saturday.

Ngarava had defended five off the final over in the first T20I to hand his side the series lead, and this time had nine to keep down against Ireland’s final two batters, and came good again.

Unfortunately for Zimbabwe, they lost the three matches in between to concede the series 3-2.

After they lost four wickets in the first six overs in the last match, Zimbabwe sent back just as many Ireland batters today.

The Ireland procession began in the third over, with Luke Jongwe bowling Kevin O’Brien with a beautiful slower ball, which angled back in to clip his off bail. Next over, Donald Tiripano moved one away from Andy Balbirnie from a good length on middle, which the Ireland captain tickled behind.

Jongwe came back in the fifth over after Zimbabwe had tried four different bowlers in as many overs up front, and got Paul Stirling to chip to extra cover, with the opener attempting a third consecutive boundary. Rounding off the powerplay, Tiripano had Harry Tector flashing at one wide of off, and edging to the man at slip.

Jongwe came back to claim top-scorer Neil Rock in the 14th over and also effected a sharp run-out off his own bowling right at the close, showing good match awareness to find non-striker Mark Adair short after the ball was chipped back to him by Young. At that stage, the game could still have gone either way.

Earlier, Adair continued from where he had left off in the previous match, striking twice in his first over to dent the Zimbabwe innings. After three runs were scored off the first ten deliveries, comeback man Tinashe Kamunhukamwe decided to step out, but only chipped to short cover, where Balbirnie took a sharp low catch to his right.

Next ball, Adair landed an inswinging yorker which trapped Regis Chakabva in front. And although he missed his hat-trick, Adair got rid of Dion Myers in the 16th over after Myers and Craig Ervine had added 57 together. Much of that strike was down to the brilliant catch by Little at deep square-leg, but Adair followed his 4 for 23 in the fourth T20I with a haul of 3 for 23 on the day. — Cricinfo