Sundaymail Editor
THE Zimbabwe Chevrons defended yet another sub-par total to open their tour of Ireland with a three-run victory in Dublin on Friday.
Zimbabwe have only defended one total lower than the 117 in Dublin – 105 against West Indies in February 2010.
The win, which saw the Chevrons win the opening T20 of their five-match series, was also Craig Ervine’s first as T20 captain.
After a batting performance riddled with problems, with only Regis Chakabva scoring more than 20, Zimbabwe’s spinners Wellington Masakadza and Ryan Burl shared five wickets between them, and conceded just 40 runs, to keep Zimbabwe in the contest.
Luke Jongwe took 2 for 17 to reduce Ireland to 88 for 7, leaving the eighth-wicket pair of Simi Singh and Barry McCarthy to finish the job.
Ireland needed 18 runs off the last three overs, 12 off the last two and six off the final over, but Richard Ngarava held his nerve at the end.
The seamer defended five off the last over to give Zimbabwe a tense win
His first ball was a yorker that Singh could not dig out, his second was quicker and Singh missed and his third was flicked away for one.
With five needed off the last three, McCarthy walked across his stumps to try and ramp the ball over short fine leg but was bowled.
Craig Young was run-out at the non-striker’s end off the penultimate ball and the last delivery, a low full-toss, cost just one run to give Zimbabwe victory.
Zimbabwe’s openers had a dismal start to the series and were both dismissed in the first 17 balls, playing lazy shots against a fired-up Craig Young.
Wessley Madhevere was unable to build on his form from earlier in the year and was the first to go.
He jabbed at the last ball of the opening over, to give debutant Neil Rock his first wicket.
After the opening blunders, Regis Chakabva (47) helped Zimbabwe recover, sharing the best partnerships of the innings – 38 with Dion Myers and 30 with Craig Ervine.
He made sure Zimbabwe had a stable foundation at 79 for 4 in the 12th over. – Cricinfo/Sports Reporter
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