Ireland look to inflict first defeat on Zim

Both Zimbabwe and Ireland will be hoping to make the most of the momentum gained during what was largely smooth sailing in the group stage, as they face off in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 Super Sixes game at Harare Sports Club today.

Zimbabwe finished atop Group B with seven points after winning three of their four games. Their final match against Scotland ended in a thrilling tie.
Ireland head in on the back of similarly impressive performances, their only defeat so far coming against favourites, West Indies.

A lot that Zimbabwe have tried so far has come off. Their top-order batsmen have repeatedly provided decent starts, something that the likes of Brendan Taylor and Sikandar Raza in the middle-order have capitalised on; the two senior statesmen have scored nearly 46 percent of Zimbabwe’s total runs so far in the tournament. Taylor, in fact, leads the tournament run charts, with 279 at an average of 69.75. Raza isn’t far behind, with 194 at 48.50.

Raza has shone with the ball as well. His 10 wickets in four matches have come at an economy rate of just 3.85 and he has proved a handful one way or the other for all of Zimbabwe’s opponents so far. With the likes of Graeme Cremer, Tendai Chisoro and Blessing Muzarabani all chipping in with wickets too, Zimbabwe’s bowlers have proved a potent force.

That said, what could work in Ireland’s favour is the fact that Zimbabwe are yet to chase in this tournament. If the visitors win the toss and decide to bat first, they will have a chance to pile up the runs and put the hosts under the pump with scoreboard pressure.

Ireland’s muscle in the batting department certainly makes that a likely scenario. William Porterfield had been doing much of their run scoring at the top so far, but in their final league outing against United Arab Emirates, his opening partner Paul Stirling came good, scoring a belligerent 117-ball 126. With the ball, the likes of Tim Murtagh (nine wickets in four), Boyd Rankin (eight wickets in four) and Andy McBrine (five wickets in three) have all impressed.

If both departments click in tandem, Ireland can realistically hope to inflict on Zimbabwe their first loss of the tournament.

Key players

Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe): The all-rounder has been in tremendous form. With 10 wickets, he is Zimbabwe’s highest wicket-taker. He also hammered a century in the tournament opener against Nepal, and his all-round abilities make him a vital cog in this Zimbabwe wheel.

William Porterfield (Ireland): The Ireland captain has consistently garnered the runs for his side so far. He registered scores of 47, 111, 0 and 92 in the four group matches. Zimbabwe will need to dismiss him early because once he settles in, he usually plays long, sets a solid foundation, and even go deep, with 250 runs so far, he is ranked second on the run charts. Zimbabwe must keep a few extra eyes on him.

Conditions
The 300-run mark was breached in the last match at the Harare Sports Club, and the pitch is once again expected to side with the batsmen. Overhead conditions have improved in Harare as well. There is no rain forecast, and the match should progress smoothly.

Squads
Zimbabwe: Graeme Cremer (c), Tendai Chatara, Tendai Chisoro, Craig Ervine, Kyle Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza, Solomon Mire, Peter Moor, Blessing Muzarabani, Sikandar Raza, Brendan Taylor (wk), Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams, Cephas Zhuwao

Ireland: William Porterfield (c), Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien (wk), Boyd Rankin, James Shannon, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Gary Wilson. — ICC