Player of the Match
Player of the Match

END OF OVER:
20 | 4 Runs | IRE: 143/9 (32 runs required, RR: 7.15)

  • Josh Little7 (11b)
  • Barry McCarthy22 (16b)
  • Richard Ngarava4-0-22-2
  • Blessing Muzarabani4-0-23-3

11.22 pm Ireland start off their 2022 T20 World Cup campaign just as they ended it in 2021, with a loss to an African nation. Last year it was Namibia and today it is Zimbabwe. For Zimbabwe, who had to sit out the last T20 World Cup due to administrative suspension, they have roared back tonight, and how.

Sikandar Raza is named Player of the Match: "The only thing I said to Sean was let's try to take the team as far as we both can. I just wanted to bat. I didn't want to let any emotions to get the best of me. The best way to get out of that situation was not to let emotions get the better of me. I just wanted to time the ball well and take it from there. I thought the wicket got harder, or I got tired, the second phase of my innings was poor. When they were bowling length, it was very tricky to get going. I was just trying to get into positions to pull, cut and hook. All I was thinking was that if they don't miss their target, I have to do something. [On his excellent 2022 form] There is no secret to be honest. The only secret I can tell you is to try to channel all the emotions of success and failure into the right way and try to complete with the best in the world so we can represent Zimbabweans and put our flag among the best in the world. We wanted to say one thing: when we qualified, as much as we were happy to be here, we knew that our journey is not done. We didn't just come here because we are happy to be representing Zimbabwe. The goal we brought was to get into the Super 12 and take some of the big teams and see where we go. So to have this victory today is certainly humbling, exciting and happy as well. But for me, once the team chat is done, I wouldn't be celebrating this victory. It's done, it's in the past. We have a very tough game against the Caribbean boys in 48 hours time and that's what I'm looking forward to now."

Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie: [Asked if he regrets bowling first after winning the toss] "I don't think so. I don't think I can look back and regret any sort of toss that goes ahead. In hindsight it looks like it might have made a difference but I think we were pretty happy at the halfway stage. We thought it was a good wicket. We expected it to be a good wicket all day. I think when you get blown away four wickets down, you're always up against it. So just bitterly disappointed with how we've started the competition but it's a pretty straightforward shootout now for us. [On Josh Little] He's our best bowler at the moment. He's our strike bowler. He's got a lot of experience in franchise cricket now. He leads that attack brilliantly. He's someone that we're really excited about all formats and hopefully he can continue to progress for us. They bowled really well, got it swinging. A couple nipped as well. It was tricky but we have to counter that as batters and get our team on the front foot and we weren't able to do that tonight."

Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine: "We're ecstatic. To put in a performance like that in the first game back in the World Cup, we showed we belong and it's a pity that it has been so long since we last played in a World Cup. [On Raza] He's been a solid performer for us over the last few months and it's exciting to see that he can bring that form here again. Different conditions, bouncier wickets but it didn't change his form so credit to him. He played exceptionally well today. [New ball pair of Ngarava and Muzarabani] What we took from the Ireland innings was to get slightly fuller. We thought Ireland bowled too short t times. Credit to Richard and Bless for hitting their straps and hitting that perfect length. It was difficult to hit through the covers on the up and it wasn't that short. Those were the wickets that we got caught behind. [On late drops] You always know in a competition like this that run rate could be a possibility at the end so we wanted to finish it off as quick as possible. So it was a little bit disappointing not to finish it off but credit to all the guys coming out and putting up a great performance."

That's it from our live coverage today. Stay tuned for the post-match reporting from our team on the ground down under. Come back tomorrow for the Group A doubleheader which starts with the winner's match, Namibia v Netherlands, before Sri Lanka takes on UAE in the nightcap. On behalf of Matt Roller, I'm Peter Della Penna. Take care!

19.6
0
Ngarava to Little, no run, another slower bouncer, the unplayable delivery of the over. Little flails and misses again. Zimbabwe officially win by 31 runs in a match that was over for all intents and purposes about 30-45 minutes ago.
19.5
0
Ngarava to Little, no run, slower bouncer again on middle stump, Little out in front of another pull.
19.4
4
Ngarava to Little, FOUR, length ball on fifth stump, Little smashes a back foot punch wide of the cover sweeper to the rope.
19.3
0
Ngarava to Little, no run, shuffles across his stumps and tries to scoop a slower bouncer over the keeper but misses.
19.2
0
Ngarava to Little, no run, bouncer on middle at 124 kph, Little is late on a pull.
19.1
0
Ngarava to Little, no run, good length slower ball on middle, Little can't get a cut away.

END OF OVER:
19 | 12 Runs | IRE: 139/9 (36 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 7.31, RRR: 36.00)

  • Barry McCarthy22 (16b)
  • Josh Little3 (5b)
  • Blessing Muzarabani4-0-23-3
  • Richard Ngarava3-0-18-2
18.6
6
Muzarabani to McCarthy, SIX, slower length ball at 103 kph, McCarthy is seeing it as good as any Ireland player tonight, smashes a pull over midwicket 12 rows back in the stands.
18.5
1
Muzarabani to Little, 1 run, full on the stumps, flicked square for one.
18.4
1
Muzarabani to McCarthy, 1 run, short ball pulled toward deep square leg, Williams opts to let the ball bounce in front of him and knocks it in from the rope to save three. If Ireland needed two to win, he'd have put in a dive there for sure.
18.3
0
Muzarabani to McCarthy, no run, another length ball that McCarthy swings at and misses.
18.2
0
Muzarabani to McCarthy, no run, slower ball lands full on fifth stump, McCarthy through his shot early and misses.
18.1
4lb
Muzarabani to McCarthy, 4 leg byes, good length ball on off stump, goes for a pull and misses off the ribs, goes past the keeper to the rope for four extras.

END OF OVER:
18 | 7 Runs | IRE: 127/9 (48 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 7.05, RRR: 24.00)

  • Barry McCarthy15 (11b)
  • Josh Little2 (4b)
  • Richard Ngarava3-0-18-2
  • Tendai Chatara4-0-22-2
17.6
1
Ngarava to McCarthy, 1 run, dropped! Another bouncer produced another top edge pull and another shelled opportunity to end the game. It swirled over deep square leg for a long time as the fielder ran in 30 yards but it just goes off his fingertips diving forward in the end.
17.5
4
Ngarava to McCarthy, FOUR, full on leg stump, McCarthy backs away to create room for a drive over the bowler's head to split the two straight boundary riders.
17.4
0
Ngarava to McCarthy, no run, full pace bouncer on leg stump, McCarthy backs away and swings but misses.
17.3
1
Ngarava to Little, 1 run, short and wide, slashes this short of deep third man for one.
17.2
0
Ngarava to Little, no run, slower bouncer, Little swings through this.
17.1
1
Ngarava to McCarthy, 1 run, dropped! Ngarava tries to bounce out McCarthy to end play and induces a top-edged pull that swirls over square leg. Chakabva runs out from behind the stumps covering 25 yards but shells this reaching forward at the last moment and a single is taken.

END OF OVER:
17 | 9 Runs | IRE: 120/9 (55 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.05, RRR: 18.33)

  • Barry McCarthy9 (7b)
  • Josh Little1 (2b)
  • Tendai Chatara4-0-22-2
  • Blessing Muzarabani3-0-15-3
16.6
1
Chatara to McCarthy, 1 run, waist high full toss heaved over square leg for one.
16.5
1
Chatara to Little, 1 run, good length ball on sixth stump, punched to cover sweeper for one.
16.4
1
Chatara to McCarthy, 1 run, length ball at full pace on fifth stump, pulls a bottom edge to deep fine leg for one.
16.3
6
Chatara to McCarthy, SIX, slower ball lands full in the slot on off stump, McCarthy creams a slog high and deep over midwicket into the second tier.
16.2
0
Chatara to McCarthy, no run, full on fifth stump, driven firmly straight to mid-off.
16.1
0
Chatara to McCarthy, no run, charge down the pitch for a heave, misses this on a good length on fifth stump.

Videos

Ireland 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st0A BalbirniePR Stirling
2nd14A BalbirnieLJ Tucker
3rd5A BalbirnieHT Tector
4th3A BalbirnieC Campher
5th42GH DockrellC Campher
6th27C CampherGJ Delany
7th11MR AdairGJ Delany
8th0MR AdairSimi Singh
9th9BJ McCarthyMR Adair
10th32BJ McCarthyJB Little

ICC Men's T20 World Cup

First Round Group A
TeamMWLPTNRR
SL32140.667
NED3214-0.162
NAM31220.73
UAE3122-1.235
First Round Group B
TeamMWLPTNRR
ZIM32140.2
IRE32140.105
SCOT31220.304
WI3122-0.563
Group 1
TeamMWLPTNRR
NZ53172.113
ENG53170.473
AUS5317-0.173
SL5234-0.422
IRE5133-1.615
AFG5032-0.571
Group 2
TeamMWLPTNRR
IND54181.319
PAK53261.028
SA52250.874
NED5234-0.849
BAN5234-1.176
ZIM5133-1.138