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Ireland – 147-8 in 20 overs (Andy Balbirnie 32, Gareth Delany 26*, Harry Tector 24; Sikandar Raza 3/28, Richard Ngarava 2/23, Blessing Muzarabani 2/24)
Zimbabwe – 148-9 in 20 overs (Sikandar Raza 65, Wessly Madhevere 25, Clive Madande 20; Josh Little 2/17, Craig Young 2/20, Mark Adair 2/36)
Zimbabwe won by one wicket
Sikandar Raza put in yet another brilliant all-round performance as Zimbabwe edged Ireland by one wicket in the first ever international cricket match under lights at Harare Sports Club on Thursday, a thrilling encounter that went down to the wire.
The tourists got off to a dynamic start after they were sent in to bat in this T20 international, with Andy Balbirnie and Paul Stirling scoring 38 runs off the first three overs.
In the fifth over, however, Richard Ngarava struck by removing Stirling, lbw to a full-length delivery for 14, with the score on 44.
Raza brought himself on for the seventh over and immediately bowled out Balbirnie for 32 off 25 balls, as the batter tried an unsuccessful scoop shot.
Lorcan Tucker with 21 and Harry Tector, 24, attacked the bowling briefly, but the middle of the innings belonged to the bowlers, as Sean Williams and Raza respectively dismissed them, and the next three batters could muster only single figures.
Ngarava and Muzarabani returned and quickly took a wicket apiece and when the eighth wicket fell at 116 in the 18th over Zimbabwe held a clear advantage.
Trevor Gwandu, making his début together with Brian Bennett, was entrusted with the final over.
Gareth Delany took full advantage of this and hit him for two sixes and a four, 20 runs coming off the over to boost the score to 147 to eight – a big difference to Zimbabwe’s target.
Delaney finished with 26 not out off 11 balls.
Raza finished with three wickets for 28 runs, while Ngarava and Muzarabani, who both came back well, took two wickets each for 23 and 24 runs respectively.
Zimbabwe opened their innings with Wessly Madhevere and Tadiwanashe Marumani, but made a shaky start, losing Marumani (1) and Sean Williams (4) for 21 runs in the first four overs.
This brought in Raza, who turned the game with the bat as he had done with the ball.
The score was 53 when Madhevere was out for 25, and then Raza shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 38 with Burl, who was out for 12 after 13 overs when the score was 91 for four.
Clive Madande played a very valuable innings by hitting 20 runs off only 11 balls, and 20 runs came off the 17th over, bowled by Barry McCarthy.
Then followed disaster, as Madande went, and Mark Adair came on to bowl the 19th over at 135 for six.
His first ball dismissed Luke Jongwe for two, as the batter edged an intended pull to the keeper.
Then, on the verge of victory, Raza went, driving a low catch to extra cover to depart for 65 off 42 balls.
He hit two sixes and five fours, and the score was 137 for eight, with 11 runs needed off the last nine deliveries.
Gwandu and Ngarava were at the wicket with Barry McCarthy to bowl the last over with nine runs still needed.
Gwandu took three runs off three balls, and then Ngarava heaved a powerful four past square leg, leaving one to tie and two to win off the last two deliveries.
Off the penultimate ball Ngarava sliced the ball towards third man, only for Adair to bring off a brilliant running and diving catch, leaving the match to be decided in the tightest of finishes.
However, Muzarabani was up to the task as he came in as last man, swung at the ball and found the inside edge down to fine leg, with the batters able to take two and seize a thrilling victory.
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