Zimbabwe 77 for 5 (Burl 36, Little 2-8, Young 2-15) vs Ireland
No result

Only nine overs of play were possible before the first T20I between Zimbabwe and Ireland in Harare was called off due to rain.

The match was already shortened to nine overs a side with weather delaying the toss by more than two hours, and the rain returned right after Zimbabwe finished their innings, forcing the match to be abandoned.

Craig Young, Josh Little and Ryan Burl put in impressive performances after Ireland opted to chase.

Young, drafted into the T20I squad after Mark Adair was injured in the preceding ODIs, and Little, playing his first T20I since the 2024 T20 World Cup, picked up two wickets each, even as Ireland shelled three chances, while Burl revived Zimbabwe after they were reduced to 11 for 3 inside the three-over powerplay.

Young, Little blow away Zimbabwe's top order

After Zimbabwe managed just three runs from the first over, they tried to force the issue in the second, knowing that the powerplay restrictions were for just three overs. Brian Bennett got a top edge for a boundary before trying to loft a length ball from Young down the ground. The length wasn't right for the shot and he couldn't clear Harry Tector running back from mid-off.

Sikandar Raza promoted himself to one-drop, but he miscued a pull off his first ball to short fine leg to leave Young on a hat-trick.

Wessly Madhevere prevented the hat-trick, but there was more joy in store for Ireland. In the next over Little snared Tadiwanashe Marumani to start off with a wicket maiden.

Burl digs Zimbabwe out of a hole

Paul Stirling turned to spin in the fifth over, and experienced Burl used the opportunity to get Zimbabwe out of trouble. Burl launched Gareth Delany so far over long-on that a new ball was needed. But the change in balls did not make much of a difference to him, as he slog-swept Delany for back-to-back sixes over long-on.

The next over was another big one, as Burl took 19 runs off Curtis Campher.

Burl started by lofting the allrounder over long-on for six. Two balls later, he looked to uppercut a short ball and got a thick top edge over the keeper for a four.

He then went across the stumps and played a cheeky flick past short fine for another boundary, and to add insult to injury for Ireland, Ben White dropped him at deep midwicket off the last ball of the over.

But the drop did not cost Ireland dearly, as Little had him caught at long-on two balls later, with Tector taking a good catch running in from the ropes.

The rest of the Zimbabwe batters failed to middle the ball consistently, but managed to tick along, even as Tector took his third catch of the game.

Young finished the innings with an excellent final over, conceding just seven runs off it, with Zimbabwe finishing on 77 for 5. His figures of 2 for 15 could have been even better, but Tashinga Musekiwa was put down twice off his bowling in that final over.

The rain arrived again just as the players made their way back for the innings break, and no further play was deemed possible.