2015 ICC Cricket World Cup Match 30 Pool B Ireland Vs Zimbabwe @Hobart,NZ Saturday March 07,2015

  

 

Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to field

Squads

Ireland

William Porterfield (capt), Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall O'Brien, Andrew Balbirnie, Gary Wilson (wkt), Kevin O'Brien, John Mooney, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Andrew McBrine

Zimbabwe

Chamu Chibhabha, Sikandar Raza, Solomon Mire, Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor (capt/wkt), Sean Williams, Craig Ervine, Regis Chakabva, Tawanda Mupariwa, Tinashe Panyangara, Tendai Chatara

 Ireland's Alex Cusack takes 2 wickets in the last over to beat Zimbabwe by 5 Runs

Brendan Taylor was leading Zimbabwe after regular skipper Elton Chigumbura was ruled out of this match with a thigh injury suffered while fielding in the Africans' preceding 20-run defeat by Pakistan.

Defeat for Zimbabwe would mean they were unable to qualify for the quarter-finals as it would leave them with two points, with only one group match left to play.

Ireland, a non-Test nation, currently have four points from three matches and will still have a shot of qualifying for the last eight regardless of Saturday's result.

Ireland also entered this match on the back of a defeat, their first of this World Cup, following a 201-run thrashing by South Africa

Ireland maintained their quest for the WC QF's with a tense 5-run win over Zimbabwe in Hobart.

Ed Joyce made 112 Runs(103 Balls with 4x9 and 6x3) while Andy Balbirnie who scored 97 Runs(79 Balls with 4x7 and 6x4) was run out three short of a maiden hundred as Ireland posted 331-8, their highest ODI Score
Set to score 332 to win,Zimbabwe required the highest chase in World Cup history and Brendan Taylor hit four sixes in 121 from 91 balls.
7 Runs were needed from the final over but the last two wickets fell as the Zimbabweans bowed out of the event.17 runs from the penultimate over kept the match on a knife-edge before Alex Cusack took the remaining two wickets to finish with 4-32, as Ireland held on for their third victory in four matches

Despite the formidable target,Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor who scored 121 Runs(91 Balls with 4x11 and 6x4) became only the 4th Zimbabwean to pass 5,000 ODI runs, used his feet in assured fashion, timing the ball exquisitely to compile his first century since 2011

 

Sean Williams scored 96 Runs(83 Balls with 4x7 and 6x2) - his highest ODI score, before he was the seventh man out

Brendan Taylor and Sean Williams scored 149 Runs for the 5th wicket

For Zimbabwe Tawanda Mupariwa gave some hope but was unfortunately out for a well made 18 Runs(7 Balls with 4x2 and 6x1)

Scorecard
Ireland 331/8 in 50 Overs
Zimbabwe 326/10 in 49.3 Overs
Match Result - Ireland won by 5 Runs
MOM -Ed Joyce for his 112 Runs