IRE VS ZIM ODI

Right then, that is it from this game but there is still one game left in this tour and it will be the ODI series decider. The 3rd and final ODI between Zimbabwe and Ireland will be played on Monday, the 23rd of January at the same ground and will begin at 12.45 pm IST (7.15 am GMT). You can join us early for the build-up though. Till then, take care and goodbye!

Joshua Little is the Player of the Match for his match-winning spell of 4 for 38 from his 10 overs. He says that it was important to come back after losing a tight first game and he is glad he could help the team. Feels that it flattens out in the afternoon and bowlers need to get the breakthroughs whenever they can. Shares that it would be nice to bowl first with the conditions in favour but it depends on the luck with the toss. Ends by saying that he is happy as long as he can help the team even if it is in the field.

The stand-in captain of Ireland, Paul Stirling says that any score above 280 here is defendable and the wicket gets slower toward the end. Adds that he would have bowled first and the wicket is such that it keeps everyone in the game. On Harry Tector, Stirling says that he is in a good patch and hopes that continues in the same way. On Andy Balbirnie, he says that for now, he won't take further part in the series as a precautionary measure and they are looking forward to the final game.

Sikandar Raza, the stand-in skipper of Zimbabwe, says that they bowled really well and credits the bowlers for the way they pulled things back. Feels that none of the senior guys could carry on despite getting off to a start and that is where they lost the game. Reckons that one of the top four batters to has to get a big hundred. Shares that the wicket was far too good and they could have chased it down with a few overs to spare but none of them was able to kick on. Mentions that they had four seamers and that is why they opted to bowl first. Adds that their strength is the swing and they wanted to expose the Irish middle order.

The Presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bowl first. After a sedate start, the Irish opening pair of Paul Stirling and Stephen Doheny put on a massive 104-run stand to get things going. Even after losing Stirling and also debutant Murray Commins, Doheny kept on going and received support from Harry Tector. Tector was the catalyst towards the end of the first innings and made sure that Ireland reached a strong total of around 300 runs. Tendai Chatara was the star with the ball for Zimbabwe as he picked up three wickets and Brad Evans too got a couple in his kitty. Coming to the chase, it ebbed and flowed before finally, Joshua Little and Ireland took the bull by the horns and ended any hopes of a Zimbabwean comeback.

Zimbabwe will feel that they could have chased this total down but a few lapses in the batting caused them dearly. After a woeful start, Innocent Kaia and Chamu Chibhabha added on 89 runs for the second wicket that brought the hosts back in the game. Both of them fell in quick succession leaving the middle order with a lot to do. Gary Ballance held up one end well and after getting a life very early in his innings, Ryan Burl started to find the fence with regularity. His good fortune then turned into misfortune as he was run out while backing away via a deflected shot. Zimbabwe just didn't have enough firepower after that and succumbed to a loss. They will now look to bounce back in the decider.

With more than a decent total on the board, Joshua Little got Ireland off to the perfect start by sending back Tadiwanashe Marumani for a golden duck. However, after that, the Irish bowlers failed to pick up a wicket until the 20th over, allowing Zimbabwe to control play. They did then pick up wickets at regular intervals before facing yet another resistance from Ryan Burl and Gary Ballance. Once they got rid of Burl, Little ran through the hosts' lower order and the visitors won the game quite comfortably in the end. Mark Adair was clinical yet again and picked up a couple of wickets and so did Graham Hume.

Yet another mouth-watering contest between these two nations and the pendulum well and truly swung both ways before Ireland stepped up in the final 10 overs and have leveled the three-game series 1-1. Zimbabwe looked good at the halfway stage of the chase but have fallen well short of the target in the end.

OUT! BOWLED! THAT'S IT! Ireland win by 46 runs! Mark Adair keeps it full and straight at the stumps, Victor Nyauchi clears his front leg to go down the ground but connects with thin air. Ends up getting his woodwork disturbed and Ireland are delighted to seal this game. They make it 1-1 in the series with all to play for in the decider.

Slower and short outside off, Victor Nyauchi swings his bat at it but misses.

Low full toss on off, Tendai Chatara knocks it to cover and takes a single.

Mark Adair (8-0-38-1) comes back into the attack.

FOUR! Just over! Fuller delivery on off, Victor Nyauchi gets underneath the delivery and lofts it over the leaping mid off fielder for a boundary.

Slower and on a length on off, Victor Nyauchi fails to get this one away on the off side.

Fuller on off, Tendai Chatara drives this one straight to cover and sets off for a single. Paul Stirling there fires a throw at the non-striker's end but misses. Tendai Chatara would have been in trouble had Stirling hit.

Tendai Chatara is the last man in for Zimbabwe.