Irish Scot boost for Zimbabwe
A NAIL-BITING last ball win against Scotland yesterday gave Ireland the perfect momentum going into the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament next week.
The match featured a five-wicket haul for Boyd Rankin, a steady innings of 79 by Andrew Balbirnie and a boundary off the last ball by George Dockrell as Ireland defeated their old rivals at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
A devastating spell of new-ball bowling by Tim Murtagh (3-42, 9.3 overs) saw both openers back in the pavilion with only 12 runs on the board.
Four more wickets fell by the 16th over mark, with paceman Rankin (5-38) causing havoc with the Scottish middle order.
The Ireland innings got off to a rocky start losing opener Paul Stirling for three. But that brought the in-form Balbirnie to the wicket and he proceeded to take control and featured in a 90-run partnership with Niall O’brien.
Balbirnie was finally caught behind for 79 with Ireland still requiring 82 runs from the last 11.4 overs.
Enter Dockrell. He set about his innings with aplomb, and held his nerve in a match-winning innings of 47 not out and sharing a vital 46-run partnership off seven overs with Gary Wilson (21).
The loss of Wilson left Ireland with 38 runs to win off 27 balls, but a cameo innings by tail-ender Rankin (12 not out) and 11 runs taken from the last over – including a boundary of the last ball by Dockrell – secured a dramatic victory for Ireland.