Ireland earn consolation closing win in Zimbabwe one-day series

Tim Murtagh registered a superb four-wicket haul and followed it with a crucial unbeaten knock of 19 to give Ireland a consolation two-wicket victory in the third and final One-Day global against Zimbabwe in Harare. In the end, it was Tim Murtagh’s brilliant all-round show that sealed the game for Ireland.

Ireland’s consolation victory meant Zimbabwe won the three-match ODI series 2-1 to overtake their opponents into 10th position on the ICC ODI rankings.

Sean Williams (51) and Sikandar Raza (50) hit half centuries but Murtagh’s four wickets helped bowl Zimbabwe out for 187 in 49.2 overs.

Ireland have lost both the ODIs on their tour so far.

Zimbabwe rested Craig Ervine, who scored a fifty and a hundred in the last two matches, and Tinashe Panyangara, and brought in batsman Brian Chari and seamer Taurai Muzarabani. But they slumped to 160 for 8 in no time before Andy McBrine and Murtagh came together and thwarted Zimbabwe’s ambitions.

Tinotenda Mutombodzi (2-33), Muzarabani and Masakadza ended up with two wickets each.

Perhaps complacent in the knowledge that the three-match series had been clinched after the second ODI on Sunday, Zimbabwe’s batting faltered. Richmond Mutumbami was the first man to go and Young got his wicket while Murtagh picked the wicket of Chamu Chibhabha. Chigumbura was the fifth man out and Raza, after scoring 50 from 56 balls, was the next to go.

It was the partnership between Chigumbura (34 in 63 balls) and Raza that helped Zimbabwe reach drier shores as the two added 71 runs for the fifth wicket. Ireland needed 69 more runs to win from 17 overs with five wickets in hand.

However, Williams, who was desperate for a big score, put on 49 runs for the third wicket with Chari (17), who had looked solid in defence before he was bowled by Murtagh in the 20th over.

Zimbabwe shift their attention to the limited overs series against Afghanistan which starts with the first ODI at Queens Sports Club on Friday, while Ireland will play Zimbabwe “A” in a four-day match, starting at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

Zimbabwe capitalized on the dismissal of Stirling as they exerted constant pressure on Ireland lower-middle order restricting them to 161 for eight in 43 overs. Eventually, it came down to Murtagh and McBrine to see them through.