It's green throughout, nice covering of the grass. As a batting unit, get through the first hour, be explosive at the backend of the game. 290 will be a good total.
VENUE STATS
1st Innings
234Avg Runs
8Avg Wkts
81.31Avg
SR
2nd Innings
198Avg Runs
7Avg Wkts
79.76Avg
SR
Weather Update
Weather Update
Harare,Zimbabwe
Updated: 16 Feb 20:30
23.5°CClouds
few clouds
100%
Clouds
38%
Rain %
62%
Humidity
7 kmph
Wind
Playing XILineups Out
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Venue Details
Harare Sports Club
It's green throughout, nice covering of the grass. As a batting unit, get through the first hour, be explosive at the backend of the game. 290 will be a good total.
The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
5:35 pm local time (9:05 pm IST): So that does it today from Harare Sports Club. We will be back here with the action on Tuesday with the first ball at 9:30 am local time (1:00 pm IST) for the decider! This is the pair of Bala and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda!
Paul Stirling (Ireland captain): Curtis Campher taking the ball and delivering after that big partnership was the key. Later on, we needed one big partnership with the bat and we got it! Blessing Muzarabani is an X-factor bowler for them, so seeing him off was important. After that, we were able to push through. We have a couple of days off now to assess the final game.
Craig Ervine (Zimbabwe captain): I thought 280-odd would have been a good score. Would have been nicer to win the toss! But losing those wickets in the middle did not help. Credit to Ireland there. On a wicket that was providing enough for the bowlers, we should have bowled better with the new ball. But, Paul Stirling and Curtis Campher batted really well. Wellington Masakadza and Sikandar Raza were steady again, but the other bowlers should have been a bit more consistent. Anyway, we will come back stronger.
Curtis Campher (Player of the Match): Strilo great captain. He just tell you to do what you do. No secret (about the swing), just trying to get it down as best as I can. I've been working in the winter, happy that it paid off. The big lads (Zimbabwe pacers) bowled beautifully. It was about nullifying that and bat as long as you can.
5:20 pm local time (8:50 pm IST): Ireland win by 6 wickets with 8 balls to spare!
It wasn't a particularly tough chase to begin with, but Ireland made sure that they got most of the job done before 35 overs, losing only 2 wickets. Of course, the Zimbabwean tactics and fielding helped, but the partnership for the second wicket between skipper Paul Stirling and Curtis Campher made light work of the chase!
Stirling missed out on a hundred by only 11 runs, as cramps got the better of him. Campher brought up an impressive half-century to partner his captain, as they duo scored 144 runs together.
There was a bit of a hiccup after the 35th over, but Lorcan Tucker and George Dockrell, with a 49-run unbeaten stand for the 5th wicket, took their team home.
Zimbabwe's inconsistency in lines and lengths right through the innings, defensive tactics at times and some sloppy fielding, handed them this victory, taking nothing away from the Irish batting.
Now, it sets up an exciting third and final match to see who wins the series on Tuesday, here, in Harare!
48.4 Sikandar Raza to Lorcan Tucker, FOUR! Finds the gap! Ireland complete a successful chase! Length delivery outside off. Gets back in a flash and cuts it behind point
Three dot balls in a row!
48.3 Sikandar Raza to Lorcan Tucker, full ball on the stumps. Pushes it back to the bowler
48.2 Sikandar Raza to Lorcan Tucker, length ball outside off. Steers it behind point and starts off. Dockrell sends him back
48.1 Sikandar Raza to Lorcan Tucker, runs down the track but hits it back to the bowler
Sikandar Raza [9.0-0-35-0] comes back into the attack.
Okay then! We have another over! But, all that's required now for Ireland is 1 solitary run!
48
overs
245/4score
0
0
0
1
2
0
runs
George Dockrell*
20(20)
Lorcan Tucker
32(44)
Blessing Muzarabani
1/51
47.6 Blessing Muzarabani to George Dockrell, short of a length outside off. Tries to pull but gets a thick under edge that rolls away to mid-on
Scores are level.
47.5 Blessing Muzarabani to George Dockrell, does it go all the way? No, Curran pulls it back! Full ball on the stumps. Backs away slightly and lofts it over covers. They decide against going for the third
47.4 Blessing Muzarabani to Lorcan Tucker, into the deck outside the off-stump. Steers it late to thirdman
It's taking a bit longer!
47.3 Blessing Muzarabani to Lorcan Tucker, short ball outside off. Slashes hard but makes no contact
47.2 Blessing Muzarabani to Lorcan Tucker, back of a length tucking the batter up. Defends it in front of point
47.1 Blessing Muzarabani to Lorcan Tucker, short of a length around the off-stump. Taps it to cover point
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George Dockrell
*
Blessing Muzarabani
Video
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Harare Sports Club
