Online Reporter
Don Makanyanga
Zimbabwe Sports Hub
HARARE SPORTS CLUB was yesterday a sea of red, gold and more red as the Chevrons’ faithful thronged the team’s ceremonial home not only to support their favourite team but also to join the rest of the world to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Cricket fans could be seen dotted around the cricket ground dressed in their Chevrons’ merchandise and red-coloured apparel to support their team and commemorate the day singularly designated to celebrate love.
But that was around the grounds.
On the pitch itself, Brian Bennett delivered a Valentine Day’s gift to all the cricket lovers with a sublime 169 to set up Zimbabwe’s 49-run win in the first ODI against Ireland.
Promoted to opener for the first time in ODI cricket, Bennett struck 56.52% of Zimbabwe’s total to give Ireland a target of 300 to chase.
Along the way, he also became the fourth-youngest to score 150-plus in a men’s One Day Internationals and posted the fifth-highest ODI score by a Zimbabwe men’s batters
The win was Zimbabwe’s ninth win against the Irish in 23 meetings and gave them an early one-nil lead in the three-match ODI series between the two teams.
“I have always wanted to be an opener,” said Bennett after the match.
“I do in the T20s but to open the ODIs and, in my first match, score like that is great.
“Hopefully, I have cemented my place in the opening set-up up for now,” he said.
Ireland won the toss, sent in Zimbabwe to bat first and later lived on t regret said decision.
Capitalizing on a flat track, Zimbabwe went on to score 299 runs for the loss of five wickets during their allotted 50 overs.
Bennett and fellow opener Ben Curran set the platform for Zimbabwe to shine as the pair put up a 95 runs off 115 balls for the opening partnership.
The 21-year-old batter, Bennett, was the chief tormentor of the two as he provided 63 runs of that partnership while Curran was all too happy to play facilitator on his way to 28 runs off 44 balls.
Bennett made his maiden century off just 117 balls but not before he had lost his partner, Curran, who was caught at midwicket by Matthew Humphreys off the bowling of Andy McBride.
The partnership was broken with the pair five runs shy of a 100-run opening stand.
With the departure of Curran came Zimbabwe skipper Craig Ervine.
Ervine missed the one-off Test between the two sides last week and seemed hell-bent on making up for lost time.
Together with Bennett, Ervine went on to score a quick-fire 66 runs off 61 balls and shared a 134-run second-wicket partnership with the youngest that pushed Zimbabwe’s innings to 231 for two when he eventually lost his wicket.
Ervine was dismissed with the last ball of the 41st over after he was caught out by Mark Adair off a Graham Hume delivery.
Zimbabwe went on to lose three more wickets before the innings’ end but had pushed their score to 299 runs.
The magic did not there, however.
With an average score of 299 for five runs on the board, Blessing Muzarabani led his bowling charges with aplomb as Zimbabwe successfully defended score
The Chevrons made their intentions clear from the get go as they claimed the first wicket with the ball of Ireland’s innings
Richard Ngarava had opener Andy Balbirine caught behind by wicketkeeper Tadiwanashe Marumani for a golden duck.
Muzarabani then led Zimbabwe’s bowling charge with four wickets for 51 runs while Ngarava chipped in with three wickets of his own.
Madhevere claimed two wickets while Raza had single wicket to his name to help the Chevrons win.
Curtis Campher top-scored for the visitors with 44 runs off 57 balls while Ireland skipper Paul Stirling (32 runs off 28 balls), Harry Tucker (39 runs off 78 balls) and George Dockrell (34 runs off 35 balls) all came up with commendable knocks.
The duo of Dockrell and McBrine finished with Ireland’s best partnership, a 73-run off 56 balls seventh-wicket stand.
After the match, Zimbabwe skipper Craig Ervine was gushing with pride over Bennett’s match-winning knock.
“Benny (Bennett) batted extremely well, perfect tempo,” said Ervine.
“You have to capitalise on chances, which he did.
“Openers doing well is crucial as it will allow other batters to play with freedom. The surface played reasonably well throughout
“We were a bit slow at the start but were looking at the 300 mark at the start.
“Even though we got there, we knew we had to bowl well to defend,” he said.
His opposite number, Ireland’s Stirling, also showered Bennett with praise.
“Congratulations to Brian (Bennett), outstanding knock,” said Stirling.
“We gave him a chance or two and he made us pay.
‘We were rusty when we shouldn’t have been I felt.
“I feel 50 runs was the difference and the result reflects that.
“The wicket was as good as it gets in Harare but the squeeze was put on us between overs 30 and 40 in both innings,” he said.
