Getting a run from bye in the last ball, Ireland upset Zimbabwe by 3 wickets in the first round Group B match of the ICC World Twenty20 at the Sylhet Stadium on Monday.
Replying to Zimbabwe’s 163 runs, Ireland reached their target of 164 for 7 wickets in 20 overs.
Opener Paul Stirling hammered 60 runs off 34 balls with nine fours and a six to be adjudged man of the match.
The opening stand of Stirling and skipper William Porterfield contributed 80 runs in 8.2 overs. Porterfield made 31 runs off 23 balls with three fours and a six.
Two down Andrew Poynter scored 23 runs off 15 balls with three fours, number three batsman Ed Joyce made 22 runs off 28 balls while number six batsman Kevin O’Brien scored 17 runs off 10 balls with two fours and a six.
Tinashe Panyangara claimed four wickets for 37 runs with a maiden in his four overs spell while Tendai Chatara and Sean Williams took one wicket each for 20 and 27 runs respectively.
Earlier, sent in to bat first, Zimbabwe scored 163 runs for 5 wickets against Ireland with skipper Brendan Taylor making 59 runs off 46 balls that featured six fours and two sixes.
Number six batsman Elton Chigumbura scored unbeaten 22 runs off 13 balls with two sixes, opener Hamilton Masakadza added 21 runs off 17 balls with three fours, Sean Williams made 16 runs off 9 balls with one four and a six while Vusi Sibanda also made 16 runs off 18 balls with a four.
George Dockrell claimed two wickets for 18 runs while debutant right-arm off break bowler Andy McBrine also took two wickets for 26 runs and Alex Cusack took one wicket for 53 runs.
Andy McBrine of Ireland and Tafadzwa Kamungozi of Zimbabwe made their T20 debut in the match.
Source: UNBConnect
