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Ireland hold off gallant Zimbabwe in high-scoring thriller

Xinhua, March 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

Two wickets in the final over saw Ireland dramatically hold off Zimbabwe by five runs in their thrilling cricket World Cup clash in Hobart on Saturday.

Recovering from 4/74, a fluctuating Zimbabwe toyed with the possibility of eclipsing Ireland's 8/331, the Associate nation's highest one-day international (ODI) total, but it proved too much with Zimbabwe all out for 326 with three balls remaining.

Both teams had a pair of batsmen post big scores but it was Irish fast bowler Alex Cusack who proved the difference, taking 4/32 from his 9.3 overs including the final two wickets as Ireland snatched their third win of the tournament from their four games.

Despite No.10 batsman Tawanda Mupariwa thumping 18 from the penultimate over to reignite Zimbabwe's slim hopes, he was unable to replicate it in the final over and become the unlikely hero. Instead, in skying a Cuzack slower ball, he closed his explosive seven-ball innings as the final man dismissed.

Aggressive hitting from Brendan Taylor (121) and Sean Williams (96) had put Zimbabwe within striking distance but Zimbabwe's stocks sank in the 47th over with the dismissal of Williams, caught by a fielder judged to be millimeters inside the boundary.

Williams' clean strike over the midwicket boundary when in sight of a century was plucked out of the air by John Mooney as his back foot stepped beside the boundary rope.

With the video umpire unable to find an angle proving conclusively that Mooney touched the rope, the original dismissal stood and Williams was sent on his way.

Earlier, Irish stalwart Ed Joyce, man of the match for his 112, survived a first ball scare when an edge fell centimeters short of first slip before posting his third ODI ton.

He rarely looked in trouble again as he combined with Andrew Balbirnie for a key 138-run partnership in the middle overs.

Balbirnie, whose first appearance as a No.4 batsman saw him smash 97 from 79 balls, was run out in sight of a maiden ODI century as he helped his team accelerate in the closing overs.

Ireland's final group match next Sunday against Pakistan looms as a crucial match in deciding the quarter-final places, but the world No.11 will need to first face world No.2 India on Tuesday in Hamilton, New Zealand.

Zimbabwe, now with just one win from five games, cannot make the knockout stages and will play for pride in Auckland on March 14 against India. Endit