A massive, massive win for Ireland, who could well qualify for the quarter-finals, and a massive, massive defeat for Zimbabwe, for whom qualification is no longer possible. That was a really fine match, with lots of excellent batting, a bit of good bowling, and sporadically good fielding. Ireland benefited from a few dropped catches, Zimbabwe from a few misfields; both sides had a centurion and a nearly-centurion and Ireland, in the shape of Alex Cusack, the day’s best bowler. Anyway, it’s been a blast, but I’m off. Bye!
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The decision that led to Sean Williams’ dismissal still seems crucial, even if Mupariwa came in and promptly flayed the ball around to bring Zimbabwe to the very verge of victory. Ed Joyce is named man of the match.
We know we have to bowl really well and field really well to keep teams down to a reasonable target. The chase was really hard to defend. Alex Cusack’s got a cold heart. No, a cool head. With two wickets left the batting team have it in the bag but he’s a top man.
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Ireland beat Zimbabwe by five runs
That was a thrilling conclusion to an excellent match. Phenomenal stuff! Ireland’s players leap about in a giant man-hug!
WICKET! Zimbabwe 326 all out!
Mupariwa tries to hit down the ground for six but it doesn’t have the legs and Porterfield takes the catch!
49.2 overs: Zimbabwe 325-8 (Mupariwa 18, Chatara 1)
Chatara also gets an edge but this one’s safe enough and he runs a single. Zimbabwe need six from four balls.
WICKET! Chakabva b Cusack 17 (Zimbabwe 325-9)
The first ball brings a wicket! Chakabva swings wildly at an offcutter and bottom-edges the ball into the stumps!
49 overs: Zimbabwe 325-8 (Chakabva 17, Mupariwa 18)
Best go ball by ball here. Cusack will bowl the final over. Mupariwa had an ODI average of eight before today. Amazing.
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49th over: Zimbabwe 325-8 (Chakabva 17, Mupariwa 18)
O’Brien bowls, and Mupariwa gets off the mark with a reverse paddle for two before smashing the next ball, sent down too wide, through the covers for four, and the one after that for another! Incredible scenes that become even more remarkable when he sweeps the next high over the square leg boundary for six, before they run two off the last! 19 from the over, and Zimbabwe now need seven from the final over to win! What a cameo from Mupariwa!
48th over: Zimbabwe 306-8 (Chakabva 15, Mupariwa 0)
Williams was back in the dressing-room before the TV umpire had made his decision, which is very sporting of him but he was not at that point out. This is going to be the big discussion point after the game. Had the decision gone the other way Zimbabwe would have had six more runs on their total and an in-form batsman in the middle, but he didn’t really put any pressure on it. That was a close call. A really close call. And it could well have been decisive. Mooney ends his over with a great yorker to the new batsman, and Zimbabwe need 26 from two overs.
WICKET! Panyangara c Porterfield b Mooney 5 (Zimbabwe 305-8)
That’s a fine, low catch from Porterfield at long on, and Zimbabwe are in big trouble now!
47th over: Zimbabwe 301-7 (Chakabva 15, Panyangara 1)
O’Brien tries to strt his over with a yorker but pitches it a little short and Chakabva thwacks it through midwicket for four! A single brings Williams back on striker, whereupon O’Brien bowls a better yorker that comes off the batsman’s toe. He sets off on a single, is sent back and O’Brien has a chance to run him out but misses! Two from the next - excellent running here, with Chakabva looking particularly whippet-heeled - and then the wicket! Zimbabwe need 32 from three overs.
WICKET! Williams c Mooney b O'Brien 96 (Zimbabwe 300-7)
He is out! But crikey that was close.
WICKET! Williams is out! Or is he?
Williams aims for another six but is caught on the rope! But was he caught on the rope or an inch in front of it? We need some replays to help us find out!
46th over: Zimbabwe 293-6 (Williams 94, Chakabva 10)
Cusack, the only bowler in the game who hasn’t conceded five or more runs an over (so far), returns for his penultimate over and it all goes pretty well until the fifth delivery, which comes off Chakabva’s thigh pad. Had the bowler just stooped to pick up the ball rather than launch an optimistic appeal that would have been the end of it. Instead he gets distracted, the batsmen try a single, another fielder arrives and tries to kick the ball into the stumps, misses badly and Zimbabwe run another two! Zimbabe need 39 from four overs at 9.75 an over.
45th over: Zimbabwe 283-6 (Williams 88, Chakabva 9)
McBrine’s first three deliveries go for singles but then the fourth is slog-swept over square leg by Williams for a phenomenal six. Zimbabwe need 49 runs from five overs.
44th over: Zimbabwe 273-6 (Williams 80, Chakabva 7)
Chakabva hits the first ball to square leg for two, and the next to midwicket for a single, and then Williams pulls through midwicket for four as Zimbabwe, needing 10 an over, score 11. “Almost not in Zimbabwe’s best interests to win,” notes Ronan Campbell. “If Ireland go out it’s easier for the ICC to justify the 10-team tournament next time.”
43rd over: Zimbabwe 262-6 (Williams 73, Chakabva 2)
Clearly these are key moments now, and Zimbabwe’s hopes lie in the hands of Sean Williams. Zimbabwe need precisely 70 runs from 42 balls at 10 runs an over.
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WICKET! Ervine c O'Brien b McBrine 11 (Zimbabwe 259-6)
Another one goes! Ervine reverse-sweeps the ball in the air straight to the only fielder in the neighbourhood, who pockets a straightforward catch at knee height.
42nd over: Zimbabwe 257-5 (Williams 72, Ervine 10)
Mooney returns and varies his pace and line well to restrict the flow of runs. Williams makes space for a paddle sweep but the bowler spots his movement and slings the ball at his legs, the batsmen scurrying a leg bye. Zimbabwe need 75 runs from 48 balls at 9.4 an over.
41st over: Zimbabwe 254-5 (Williams 72, Ervine 8)
Ervine hits smartly past square leg for four but then risks everything when knocking the ball dead and setting off for a single. O’Brien, the bowler, races in to collect the ball and take off the bails but Williams’s dive saves him. He then gets up, dusts himself down and hits to long-off, where the ball is misfielded into the rope. Zimbabwe need 78 to win.
40th over: Zimbabwe 241-5 (Williams 65, Ervine 3)
Cusack bowls the final over of the batting powerplay, and after conceding three singles from his first five deliveries the fielders close in to prevent a single and ensure Ervine starts the next over on strike, so Williams hits through them for four. Zimbabwe need 91 to win with 10 overs remaining.
39th over: Zimbabwe 234-5 (Williams 60, Ervine 1)
Williams pulls O’Brien’s first delivery for six, and then he miscues an attempted repeat but the ball drops short of the fielder. Ten runs off the over, bringing Zimbabwe’s total to a pleasing 234-5. Ireland were 218-3 at this stage.
38th over: Zimbabwe 224-5 (Williams 51, Ervine 0)
Cusack strikes again, his variation of pace provoking a poor stroke out of Brendan Taylor. It was until that point an exemplary innings, but his side still need to score another 108 without him.
WICKET! Taylor c O'Brien b Cusack 121 (Zimbabwe 223-5)
Taylor has gone! He tries to smack once again over the on side but the bat he’s confused by Cusack’s slower ball,and his handle slips in his gloves as it makes contact with the ball, which flies high into the air and down into the hands of O’Brien!
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37th over: Zimbabwe 222-4 (Taylor 121, Williams 49)
Dockrell’s first delivery is hoisted over long-off for six, and he clearly likes that particular spot because he picks it out again a few balls later, and then finds it again - the ball making its way there along the ground this time. Eighteen runs from the over, which has to hurt a bit.
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36th over: Zimbabwe 204-4 (Taylor 103, Williams 49)
Cusack, Ireland’s best and least expensive bowler thus far, returns and starts with three dot balls before Williams grabs a single and Taylor once again hits over mid-off, though this time he only gets two runs for it.
35th over: Zimbabwe 200-4 (Taylor 100, Williams 48)
A fabulous effort from Taylor, who has batted his team back into this match. And he still can’t relax, with his team needing him to stay at the crease for a while yet. The review came from the final ball of the over, and was really wildly speculative.
Not out!
It looks like it might have caught his forearm, but there’s certainly not bat and no glove involved.
REVIEW! Is Taylor out here? Probably not, but what the heck!
The Irish spend a while discussing whether there had been any contact with the bat on its way through, and in the end they decide it’s worth a go.
34th over: Zimbabwe 198-4 (Taylor 99, Williams 47)
Stirling bowls, and his first attempt is dispatched back over his head by Taylor for six, and then the next ball goes over mid-off and then away for four. In the end the over goes for 14 - his two overs so far have gone for 26 between them - and Taylor’s century is imminent.
33rd over: Zimbabwe 184-4 (Taylor 86, Williams 46)
Dockrell’s back, and Taylor sweeps fine, the ball being athletically stopped just before the rope and the batsmen running three. This match is nicely poised now.
32nd over: Zimbabwe 180-4 (Taylor 83, Williams 45)
McBrine’s first ball is lifted back over a short mid-off and rumbles away for four. Then Williams has a couple of goes at sweeping the ball through midwicket. Once he doesn’t quite catch it and he runs two, then he strikes it sweetly and it screams over the rope for four. Eleven off the over.
31st over: Zimbabwe 169-4 (Taylor 78, Williams 39)
Williams pulls the ball towards square leg where Cusack slides to block the ball a yard from the rope, a few replays needed just to sure he wasn’t touching both at the same time.
30th over: Zimbabwe 164-4 (Taylor 77, Williams 36)
This has been a beautiful partnership for Zimbabwe, basically chanceless, with Taylor in particular showcasing both power and subtlety and, more than anything, intelligence. McBrine returns and bowls well, though the batsmen nevertheless manoeuvre themselves to a couple of singles and a pair.
29th over: Zimbabwe 160-4 (Taylor 74, Williams 35)
Taylor slices O’Brien’s second delivery to the fielder at short third man, who gets behind the ball, readies his hands, and is then bemused to see it kick right off the turf and disappear out of his reach and away for four. Every subsequent delivery yields a single run.
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28th over: Zimbabwe 152-4 (Taylor 68, Williams 34)
Mooney’s first three deliveries yield singles, and then Taylor tickles the fourth past fine leg for four.
27th over: Zimbabwe 144-4 (Taylor 62, Williams 32)
Ireland have themselves been responsible for three of the six biggest successful run-chases in World Cup history but this would top the lot, beating Ireland’s 329-7 against England in 2011. O’Brien comes back, and his first delivery is pulled emphatically to the square leg boundary by Williams, while his last goes to a similar location off the bat of the right-handed Taylor. Add a scattering of singles and you’ve got yourself an 11-run over.
26th over: Zimbabwe 133-4 (Taylor 58, Williams 26)
Mooney returns, with Ireland feeling that a wicket would be quite handy. They don’t get one of those, but the batsmen muster just a single apiece.
25th over: Zimbabwe 131-4 (Taylor 57, Williams 25)
Ireland’s spinners haven’t been particularly parsimonious, or very dangerous. Taylor scoops the ball to extra cover, where the fielders are too deep to rush in and catch it - it’s as close as we’ve come to a wicket of late, and it wasn’t really very close. Halfway through the innings, and Zimbabwe are precisely 200 runs from securing a draw.
24rd over: Zimbabwe 125-4 (Taylor 53, Williams 23)
A new bowler from Ireland but more spin, and Taylor brings up his half-century with a four clubbed through midwicket and a single to square leg. It’s taken him 38 balls to get there, and this pair are batting Zimbabwe back into this game (for all that there’s still a very long way to go).
23rd over: Zimbabwe 113-4 (Taylor 45, Williams 20)
After a few singles Taylor flicks the ball faintly down to fine leg, where a fielder sets a new slow-running record, allowing the batsmen to run three. Really, if he’d been going any slower he’d have been stationary.
22nd over: Zimbabwe 106-4 (Taylor 41, Williams 17)
Williams, who looks in good nick, reverse-sweeps for four, a fine shot that sends the ball rocketing along the carpet.
21st over: Zimbabwe 100-4 (Taylor 40, Williams 12)
A couple of singles and then Williams thumps over midwicket for four to send Zimbabwe’s total ticking into three figures.
20th over: Zimbabwe 94-4 (Taylor 39, Williams 7)
With spinners at both ends the overs are whizzing by. Taylor thumps the ball high over mid-on, not perfectly timed but nowhere near a fielder, though one appears in time to stop it crossing the boundary. He repeats the stroke next ball, only this time he’s honed it, and it flies this time over midwicket and hits the advertising hoardings for six.
19th over: Zimbabwe 83-4 (Taylor 30, Williams 5)
Another Dockrell over, and four more singles are added to Zimbabwe’s total.
18th over: Zimbabwe 79-4 (Taylor 28, Williams 3)
McBrine continues, and Zimbabwe score a few singles. A handy state-of-play summary from Andy Zaltzman:
Assuming Ire beat Zim today, winner of Pak v Ire on 15 Mar will go through. Loser likely to be in a Net-Run-Rate contest with W.I.
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) March 7, 2015
17th over: Zimbabwe 76-4 (Taylor 26, Williams 2)
Dockrell’s over yields a wicket and ust two runs. Zimbabwe are scoring quickly enough - Ireland had 64 on the board at this stage - but it matters not if their wickets continue to tumble.
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WICKET! Mire c Cusack b Dockrell 11 (Zimbabwe 74-4)
This time Mire is caught, and the ball won’t so much has stung Cusack’s palms as it looped softly to him at short third man.
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16th over: Zimbabwe 74-3 (Mire 11, Taylor 26)
Andy McBrine does some loopy, flighted spinning and there’s a drop as Mire thumps the ball straight to O’Brien at extra cover. It would have been an easy take had he only hit it half as hard; as it was not only can O’Brien be forgiven for not holding it, he’s also got a very sore finger. Every ball yields a single.
15th over: Zimbabwe 68-3 (Mire 8, Taylor 23)
Again O’Brien’s first delivery is pumped to the boundary by Taylor, this time to long-on, and then he thumps wide over long-off for another before scurrying a single. It looks like there’s a lovely sunset in Tasmania, and though it’s being blocked by lots of cloud, it’s at least turning the clouds a very fine shade of orangey pink.
14th over: Zimbabwe 59-3 (Mire 8, Taylor 14)
A couple of singles and a single couple.
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13th over: Zimbabwe 55-3 (Mire 7, Taylor 11)
Taylor hits O’Brien’s first delivery through long-off for four and for a brief but happy moment he has scored seven, Mire has scored seven, and O’Brien has conceded seven. Then he hits the last ball through mid-on for four more. The other match in this pool is over, and Pakistan have beaten South Africa in what seems to have been quite an exciting and certainly bookmaker-upsetting match, with Sarfraz Ahmed taking six catches.
12th over: Zimbabwe 47-3 (Mire 7, Taylor 3)
Before the over there’s a long delay while Mire is treated by a physio, apparently for cramp. Then Dockrell, Ireland’s tall spinner, comes on and the batsmen get singles off each of the first three deliveries and nothing from the rest.
11th over: Zimbabwe 44-3 (Mire 6, Taylor 1)
Mire being both the name of one of the current batsmen and what Zimbabwe will be in if they don’t get a decent partnership going sharpish. They’re keeping up with Ireland’s tally - the Irish were 44-1 at this point - but with more batsmen falling.
WICKET! Masakadza c Wilson b O'Brien 5 (Zimbabwe 41-3)
O’Brien strikes with his third delivery of the day, finding the very edgiest edge of Masakadza’s bat as the ball flies through to the keeper.
10th over: Zimbabwe 41-2 (Mire 4, Masakadza 5)
Masakadza takes a couple off Mooney’s first delivery and then the batsmen twice hit to long off. On one occasion the ball is eventually fielded and Masakadza runs three, and on the other Mire persuades the ball to go all the way to the rope.
9th over: Zimbabwe 32-2 (Mire 0, Masakadza 0)
A wicket maiden from Cusack, as Zimbabwe get a little stuck precisely 300 runs from their target.
WICKET! Chibhabha c Porterfield b Cusack 18 (Zimbabwe 32-2)
Chibhabha goes big. Chibhabha goes long. Chibhabha gets a leading edge and sends the ball flying way up into the air, and Porterfield wins the three-way race to be under it when it comes back to earth.
8th over: Zimbabwe 32-1 (Chibhabha 18, Mire 0)
Zimbabwe are trundling along, keeping up with Ireland’s score with impressive accuracy. Ireland were 34-1 at this stage of their innings.
WICKET! Raza c Stirling b Mooney 12 (Zimbabwe 32-1)
That’s a very fine catch at first slip! A lovely delivery, full and moving away, tempts Raza into a shot and he edges the ball between the keeper and first slip. Wilson, the man with the gloves, should surely have gone for it but didn’t, but Stirling has predicted it and does the honours anyway.
7th over: Zimbabwe 30-0 (Chibhabha 18, Raza 10)
Cusack starts his over with a wide. After that it’s a much quieter over, with Chibhabha prodding past point for a couple.
6th over: Zimbabwe 27-0 (Chibhabha 16, Raza 10)
A boundary for each batsman, with Raza smiting handsomely through midwicket and Chibhabha going down the ground. A few years ago an artist I like called Eelus made a screenprint (not his best, in my opinion, but hey) of Star Wars favourite Chewbacca getting a haircut, and called it Chewbarber. And I find it impossible not to think of it when Zimbabwe’s opening batsman is mentioned.
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5th over: Zimbabwe 18-0 (Chibhabha 11, Raza 6)
The batsmen grab a single each before Raza thwacks Cusack’s final delivery through midwicket for four.
4th over: Zimbabwe 12-0 (Chibhabha 10, Raza 1)
Well that’s more like it. Chibhabha pushes the ball just past a diving mid-off and thence away to the boundaary, his side’s first of the innings, and then cuts past point for annother. In between, Mooney bowls across the batsman and down the leg side for the first extra.
3rd over: Zimbabwe 3-0 (Chibhabha 2, Raza 1)
This is an excellent start from Ireland, who had scored 16 runs (and lost a wicket) at this stage of their innings. There’s still time, of course, for Zimbabwe to come good here, but they can’t keep going at a run an over for long. Anyway, Cusack bowls, Raza faces, and it’s a maiden.
2nd over: Zimbabwe 3-0 (Chibhabha 2, Raza 1)
John Mooney starts us off from t’other end, and he gets the ball to swing a fraction away from the batsman. Raza pulls to square leg, the ball landing a few yards short of the fielder to give Zimbabwe a safe single, and Chibhabha does very little with the remainder of the over.
The players come out, ready for action to get back under way. Gird thy loins, people.
Ed Joyce describes Ireland’s total as “just par”, and looks a bit glum while he’s doing it. It may have ended with a couple of disappointing overs just when they were contemplating the possibility of 350+, but 331 remains Ireland’s greatest ever World Cup total, just beating the 329-7 they accumulated in beating England four years ago (although they got that with five balls to spare, so would surely have exceeded 331 given a full 50 overs).
Zimbabwe have exceeded 331 just once at World Cups, against Namibia in 2003, and have scored 300 or more in a ODI just twice since 2009 (Ireland have managed it seven times in the same period, and twice now at this year’s World Cup alone).
It’s all to play for, in brief, but Zimbabwe will need to play particularly well. And hello! All emails from now on to simon.burnton@theguardian.com, please.
Ireland 331-8 (Cusack 2, Dockrell 5)
That’s a real shame for Balbirnie, who played a wonderful innings and who, alongside Joyce, took this innings away from Zimbabwe. Cusack comes in and slaps a single down the ground. Dockrell then steps back and hits high in the air, but it falls short of the encroaching fielder from long-on. This is actually very good death bowling from Zimbabwe, just four from the first five balls of the over. The final one is another excellent yorker and though this is Ireland’s highest ever score in ODIs, they’ll have to work to defend it.
That’s all from me. Simon Burnton is your man for the chase. Thanks for reading, bye!
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Wicket! Balbirnie run out 97
Last over then. This has been a decent batting performance from Ireland, but there’s no doubt they’ve been helped by some mixed bowling and woeful fielding. Anyway, Mupariwa to bowl the final over. Balbirnie has the strike, carves it out to deep cover and is run out coming back for a second run!
49th over: Ireland 325-7 (Balbirnie 96, Dockrell 2) Can Balbirnie get to 100? O’Brien, shuffled down the batting order – you see how they’re flexible, England? – has the strike but immediately hands it off to the set man. Chatara comes round the wicket and Balbirnie creams him to deep cover on the bounce for a single. O’Brien goes but the batsmen crossed, so Balbirnie has the strike. He drives a single to deep cover again.
Wicket! N O'Brien c Panyangara b Chatara 2
A bumper from Chatara and Niall O’Brien helpfully lifts it down to third man’s throat.
48th over: Ireland 320-6 (Balbirnie 94, N O’Brien 1) Williams again and Wilson sweeps him hard, square for four, but then goes. Good captaincy that from Taylor. In comes John Mooney and he swipes a free-hit through mid-wicket for four, then picks up as many again with a reverse-slog-sweep to backward point. Oh and now he’s out to the quicker, flatter one.
“Dear Dan,” writes Robert Wilson in my first email of the day. “It’s actually rather fabulous that you guys are covering this and I’m delighted that Ireland are consistently showing their class. But this Zimbabwe team breaks my heart. Everone has been waxing sentimental about the Afghanistan players but these guys here haven’t exactly had it easy. I think that deserves a little love.” That’s fair enough, they just don’t seem to exhibit all that much joy in their cricket.
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Wicket! Mooney b Williams 10
Swing and a miss. Simple as that.
Wicket! Wilson c Chakabva b Williams 25
Brendan Taylor brings the man in from the boundary to the edge of the circle and the very next ball he pouches the reverse-sweep at cover.
47th over: Ireland 304-4 (Balbirnie 94, Wilson 21) A big booming wide to begin from Chatara, not even close to the tramlines. An optimistic shout for LBW from a slow full-toss follows, but it’s going miles down leg. Wilson gets four to wide third man though as he rocks back and cuts away a slower bouncer. Balbirnie moves to within one hit of a century with a single, then Wilson brings up the 300 with a lofted flick over square-leg for six.
46th over: Ireland 289-4 (Balbirnie 93, Wilson 9) Mupariwa starts with a very good ball that beats Wilson; the leg-cutter by the looks of things. He tries it again next ball but there’s a touch too much width and Wilson cuts through point for his first boundary. The batsmen take a single apiece into the on-side, then Wilso drives out to cover point for a couple. The final ball is a good yorker and a dot ball at that.
45th over: Ireland 281-4 (Balbirnie 92, Wilson 1) Six overs to go and Ireland will want 330 at least. Chatara is back. He begins with a horrible, waist-high full-toss that KOB flicks behind square leg for four. He goes next ball though, taking his hand off the bat handle and hitting it straight up. Gary Wilson comes in and is greeted with a dirty wide wide outside off. A very low-key 10 from the over.
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Wicket! O'Brien c Chakabva b Chatara 24
Slower ball, slogged up in the air and taken by Chakabva at mid-on. That’s an important one for Zimbabwe and could mean the difference between 320 and 350.
44th over: Ireland 271-3 (Balbirnie 91, O’Brien 20) A nice full-toss on leg stump for starters, Mr. O’Brien? Why yes, I’ll just tuck that through square leg for four, Mr. Mupariwa. Four more runs over cover, Mr. Balbirnie? Yes, that’ll do nicely.
I’m sorry, that was tripe, I know.
43rd over: Ireland 260-3 (Balbirnie 86, O’Brien 14) Balbirnie walks down the wicket, has a big swing and gets a thick inside edge down to the long-leg fence. That was lucky, but two balls later he plays a much better one, smashed with the breeze over mid-on for six to take him to his highest international score. Fine leg is up, Panyangara sends down a full-toss and Balbirnie scoops it over backward square leg for six more. This induces a delay while they choose a new ball, but then the old one is found. To finish, a drive squirted behind point for four more. 21 from the over.
42nd over: Ireland 239-3 (Balbirnie 66, O’Brien 14) Sigh. More dodgy running as Balbirnie is caught in no-man’s-land. Chibhabha fields at mid-off, but delays the throw, allowing the batsman to turn and get back to his ground with ease. After a flick to fine-leg for two, O’Brien clears the front leg and muscles agriculturally down the ground for four. Just the six from the over though.
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41st over: Ireland 233-3 (Balbirnie 66, O’Brien 8) With the fielding restrictions relaxed, Sean Williams comes back into the attack. He starts with a leg-side wide. Interestingly (ish), Ireland’s run-rate was higher in the middle overs than it was in the powerplays. They’re not looking particularly energised right now, either, content to carry on nurdling, until O’Brien slog-sweeps over square for six. That one’s dropped too, in teh crowd.
Terrific century from Ed Joyce. But Ireland's bowling means that even 320 could be attainable for Zimbabwe
— Tim (@timwig_cricket) March 7, 2015
Also, PA operator, there are plenty of great U2 songs. There’s no excuse for playing Elevation.
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40th over: Ireland 223-3 (Balbirnie 59, O’Brien 6) Mupariwa is back for the final powerplay over. He puts it in the slot for O’Brien and gets mullered down the ground for a powerful four to long-off. Then another drop as KOB drives it in the air to the right of cover, who spills a straightforward effort tumbling to his right. This has been an embarrassing effort in the field. Just five from the over though.
Morning, John McEnerney:
@DanLucas86 good man yourself Ed Joyce, I've just milked the Weetabix hoping we can get 300+, Zim don't look with it at all! Come on Ireland
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) March 7, 2015
39th over: Ireland 218-3 (Balbirnie 59, O’Brien 1) Chatara now. Are we going to see the wheels come off Zimbabwe’s attack at the death again? Joyce lofts him to long on for a couple first up, then carves over point for two more. Balbirnie misses out on a full-toss, before Joyce’s excellent, if slightly fortuitous, innings comes to an end. That’s the good news for Zimbabwe; the bad is that Kevin O’Brien has strolled out now. A good bouncer to end the over is pulled for one. The wicket and just six runs from a very good over.
Wicket! Joyce c Ervine b Chatara 112
Full-toss, mistimed and caught at mid-on on the edge of the circle. Boo!
38th over: Ireland 212-2 (Balbirnie 54, Joyce 112) Hmm, spin in the powerplay as Raza comes back in. Joyce looks to slap him over cover, where Craig Ervine drops him again! That’s shocking fielding, it was hit straight at him at shoulder height and he simply turned away from the ball. After the batsmen take a single, Balbirnie moves to his second consecutive fifty with a slog sweep that just evades the leaping Mire and goes for six. Another single, then Joyce swings it into the stands at midwicket.
Ed Joyce reaches his hundred
37th over: Ireland 198-2 (Balbirnie 47, Joyce 105) Panyangara makes his second comeback into the attack. Incidentally South Africa are chasing 232 to beat Pakistan from 47 overs. Nick Miller has that one. Panyangara jams one in short and Joyce goes over mid-on where it plugs in the outfield. Two runs move him to 98, then an identical ball gets an identical treatment and brings an identical number of runs, moving Joyce to 100. Panyangara overcompensates with a full-toss outside off and Joyce cracks that over extra cover for four more.
36th over: Ireland 186-2 (Balbirnie 44, Joyce 96) Right, we’re into the powerplay and there’s a danger this could get nasty for Zimbabwe. Ireland will surely want 320 or so from here. Mupariwa is into the attack and Balbirnie gets a thick outside edge over backward point for four. Those four can be attributed entirely to the bat manufacturer, sorry, but there’s no pace here and it wasn’t even close to the middle of the bat. Three more singles in a decent over for Zimbabwe. That’s drinks.
35th over: Ireland 179-2 (Balbirnie 38, Joyce 94) Williams again and Joyce is dropped again! he drives to cover but the diving fielder can’t cling on. Joyce makes the most of it with a heave over mid-on for four to move into the 90s. He then chips into a gap in the same region for a single. Another single, a wide, another single after that and then hell, another single, and it’s nine from the over and the hundred partnership from just 91 balls.
34th over: Ireland 170-2 (Balbirnie 36, Joyce 89) Raza has changed ends and he appeals for LBW against the reverse-sweeping Balbirnie, but it wasn’t going anywhere near the stumps. Joyce comes down the wicket and goes over cow corner, but can’t find the gap. Six from the over.
33rd over: Ireland 164-2 (Balbirnie 33, Joyce 87) Brendan Taylor is using his bowlers in one-over spells here. Williams is on and Balbirnie misses out when he cuts a short, wide one to the fielder on the rope rather than into the gap. This is very serene now for the men in green; Joyce moves on to his highest World Cup score.
32nd over Ireland 159-2 (Balbirnie 30, Joyce 85) Zimbabwe’s double change is followed by a double change as Masakadza comes back for his third over. Balbirnie goes down on one knee and shovels it over his shoulder for four down to fine leg. One, one, one, one, one follow as the commentators talk about meeting player’s wives. Struggling to sleep? There you go.
31st over Ireland 150-2 (Balbirnie 24, Joyce 83) The lights are on and it’s looking pretty cool and cloudy out there. Raza once again comes back as Zimbabwe start to look desperate for a wicket. It’s not bad bowling at all, this, as the batsmen can only work him for four singles. The 150 comes up.
30th over Ireland 146-2 (Balbirnie 22, Joyce 81) Chatara is back on too. He starts with a long-hop that Joyce pulls over square-leg for six. There’s half a shout for LBW next up, but Joyce has middled it to square-leg for a single. Short, wide and filthy again next but Balbirnie misses out, picking out the cover point fielder with his cut. 300 isn’t beyond the realms of possibility here and on this pitch that would a brilliant score.
29th over Ireland 137-2 (Balbirnie 21, Joyce 73) Hmm this is a surprise move, Panyangara is back into the attack. It’s an inauspicious start as he sends down a juicy, slow, wide one that Joyce smashes through point for four. It’s a front-foot no-ball too, so a free-hit, but Panyangara comes back well sending a yorker crashing into the stumps. That four brought up the 50 partnership, incidentally, from just 7.5 overs. Balbirnie gets on strike and chips over extra cover for a couple more. An exchange of singles to finish the over.
Oh you! Nauseating little teases...
BOWLED!!! Joyce is bowled...but it's a free hit remember! #BackingGreen
— Cricket Ireland (@Irelandcricket) March 7, 2015
28th over Ireland 127-2 (Balbirnie 18, Joyce 67) Much better over from Raza, just two from it.
27th over Ireland 125-2 (Balbirnie 17, Joyce 66) Flat on middle from Williams and Balbirnie hammers a good sweep through the vacant square-leg region for four, before dabbing a late shot down to third man for two more. He nearly goes to the final ball though, one that sticks in the pitch and, though Williams gets his hand to the ball diving to his left, it’s almost unfair to call that a drop.
26th over Ireland 117-2 (Balbirnie 10, Joyce 65) Spin from both ends as Raza returns. He’s round the wicket to the right-handed Balbirnie, who works him for a single to mid-wicket. The following ball is a god-awful long-hop that you or I would be ashamed to send down and Joyce rightly deposits it over mid-wicket for the first six of the day.
25th over Ireland 109-2 (Balbirnie 9, Joyce 58) Aw yeah. Joyce stands and delivers a beauty of a straight drive, clumped past the bowler for a straight four. The PA celebrates it with a bit of the Dropkick Murphys.
A half-hearted LBW shout against Joyce but I think there’s an inside-edge and Zimbabwe don’t review. Eight from the over.
24th over Ireland 101-2 (Balbirnie 7 Joyce 52) Joyce rolls the wrists and cuts late down to third man for one. As Nass says on Sky, that’s his release shot, and a very aesthetically pleasing one it is too. Four more as Joyce cuts just past backward point, in the air and the sweeper’s valiant efforts not to touch the ball while his other foot is on the rope are in vain. That brings up Ed Joyce’s half-century.
23rd over Ireland 94-2 (Balbirnie 6, Joyce 46) Joyce, like Daft Punk, gets lucky with one that keeps low, bottom edging it into the keeper’s pads. Two singles later he gets it right though, backing away and driving with the wrists through cover for four.
Nass and Atherton are on commentary duty now. After Nicholas, this is like Radiohead being supported by Oasis.
22nd over Ireland 87-2 (Balbirnie 5, Joyce 40) Masakadza replaces Mupariwa, bringing some round-arm military medium to the table. Joyce goes hard at him, hitting out to mid-wicket for one, then Balbirnie cuts to backward point for another. I like the look of the 25-year-old: he looked very composed in making 50 against South Africa and times the ball very elegantly.
21st over Ireland 84-2 (Balbirnie 4, Joyce 38) The wicket comes from the new ball and Andrew Balbirnie is the new man and almost run out straight away after a mix-up with Joyce. Joyce – who had the strike after the batsmen cross – gets a single then Balbirnie plays the shot of the day so far, guiding it through extra cover with exquisite timing for four.
Wicket! Porterfield c Masakadza b Williams 29
Porterfield looks to clear mid-off and utterly fails to do so. Up goes the ball, down comes the ball and Masakadza on the edge of the ring barely has to move.
20th over Ireland 79-1 (Porterfield 29, Joyce 37) Mupariwa beats Joyce’s outside edge, then sends down a filthy leg-side wide. Jouyce then slogs straight up in the air, the bowler belatedly gives chase, dives forward and drops it! That really should have been taken, but Mupariwa took a moment to realise that there was no other fielder in the vicinity to go for it. He only had to move a couple of yards to his left though.
Mupariwa has just dropped the World Cup. #cwc15 #irevzim
— The Silly Point (@the_sillypoint) March 7, 2015
LOL! Never gets old.
19th over Ireland 74-1 (Porterfield 28, Joyce 34) It’s time for another change of bowling and Sean Williams will bowl his left-arm slow darts. Porterfield backs away and cuts hard out to cover for a couple. Round the wicket comes the bowler, very wide on the crease to try and deny Porterfield the cut, so the batsman tries to reverse-sweep it. Doesn’t connect though. Williams looks to counter that by firing it into the pads and Porterfield turns him to long leg for two more.
18th over Ireland 70-1 (Porterfield 24, Joyce 34) Shot from Joyce, chipping back over the bowler’s head for a barrel-straight four that brings up the 50 partnership. This may be boring – and it really is boring – but it’s not bad for Ireland, who don’t really bat deep but do hit very deep. Porterfield likes the look of a wide half-volley, but he doesn’t middle it and the ball flies up in the air, but doesn’t carry, down to third man. The batsmen get one and then take drinks.
17th over Ireland 64-1 (Porterfield 23, Joyce 29) This is the cricketing equivalent of an Alt-J album: it’s not bad, but I am forgetting it concurrent to experiencing it. Three ones and a two.
16th over Ireland 59-1 (Porterfield 22, Joyce 25) Joyce goes for the big one again. Back of a length from Mupariwa and Joyce clears mid-on, but it drops into no-man’s land and they just get the two for it. 74% of Sky viewers say they would have batted first, which means that 74% of Sky viewers are either wrong or have very little faith in their imaginary bowling attacks. Which, I guess, is nicely reflective of the cricket fan’s psyche: you have an entirely fictional army of bowlers, which might as well include Warne, Marshall, a Terminator and The Hulk, but you’re not sure they can exploit these conditions. Brilliant.
15th over Ireland 56-1 (Porterfield 22, Joyce 22) Raza continues and Porterfield, whose strike rate is pretty poor at 21 from 45 balls, looks to thrash him through point but the ball is far too close for him to hit it cleanly. Instead he goes down the ground to get a single. Joyce does get a cut away, but it’s parried by the man at point and kept down to one.
14th over Ireland 54-1 (Porterfield 21, Joyce 21) Porterfield times a nice drive off Mupariwa through cover for a single, before the bowler sends a nice off-cutter past Joyce’s outside edge. He finds the outside edge with the next ball, but it’s down to third man for a couple.
13th over Ireland 50-1 (Porterfield 20, Joyce 18) Time for some spin, which might be effective on this wicket. Raza, the all-rounder, it is with his off-breaks. Porterfield steps back and looks to give himself room to hit through the line, but can’t time it. Singles from the first, fourth and fifth balls, all down the ground, then two to mid-on brings up the 50.
12th over Ireland 45-1 (Porterfield 17, Joyce 16) A change of bowling and it’s Tawanda Mupariwa, right-arm medium, into the attack. Joyce sees a nice juicy half-tracker, but goes through with the hoick too quickly and bottom edges into the ground. Joyce guides a single down to third-man for the first, and indeed only, run of the over.
Proposed law change: loud drunk unfunny singing Irishmen should not be allowed to sit near a broadcaster’s microphone. Nor is Mark effing Nicholas, who is now banging on about museums like he ever set foot in anything but the Tate bloody Modern.
Updated
11th over Ireland 44-1 (Porterfield 17, Joyce 15) So just a shade over four-an-over and one wicket lost in the powerplay. That’s not terrible on this slightly sticky pitch. The running between the wickets is pretty amateurish here, as Joyce has to scramble to avoid being run out taking a quick single, then there’s a “yes-no-whew” moment the very next ball. From the final ball Joyce goes down on one knee and thumps it authoritatively through extra cover just for one.
10th over Ireland 41-1 (Porterfield 16, Joyce 13) Chatara continues. He strays down the leg side and Joyce gets a faint flick on it, wide of Taylor and down to long-leg for four. This quite glorious bit of pop genius comes on the PA and you lot can have an earworm too.
9th over Ireland 36-1 (Porterfield 16, Joyce 8) Round the wicket comes Panyangara to Porterfield. Incidentally if there are any readers in Hobart, I will pay you five pounds to steal Mark Nicholas’s media pass and ensure he can’t get anywhere near the commentary box.* “Ooh how’s that for a shot,” he purrs as Porterfield mistimes a chip that plugs in the outfield at mid-off for two. Idiot.
*I won’t, and totally don’t condone stealing. Even if the consequences would be brilliant.
8th over Ireland 34-1 (Porterfield 14, Joyce 8) Chatara once again finds Joyce’s edge and once again it goes down to wide third-man for one. Porterfield then works another single away and a couple of dots give us time to ponder: is there any time of day when Mark Nicholas’s inanity doesn’t make it OK to swear at your TV? Taylor brings in a second slip only for Chatara to send down a leg-side wide. It’s a strange action, Chatara’s, barely using his left arm and as such always looking like he’s about to fall apart in his follow-through. His final ball is wide, full and cracked through cover for four.
7th over Ireland 27-1 (Porterfield 13, Joyce 3) Who says this group stage is slow? We’re rocketing along here, into the boring middle overs already! Porterfield can’t get it away here and mistimes an ugly slap to extra cover for precisely zero. Five dots then overpitched, wide and driven over the top of point for four. Good job that, as it would have been the ropiest maiden ever otherwise.
6th over Ireland 23-1 (Porterfield 9, Joyce 3) It has just been pointed out to me that I got confused with my prediction, given Ireland are batting first. Therefore they’re going to win by 22 runs, bowling Zimbabwe out inside 48 overs. Joyce gets a single from the first ball with an edge down to third man. It’s going to be a low-scoring, cagey one this. Another single to square leg, off the back foot to Porterfield before Joyce misses out on a juicy full-toss, defending it back to Chatara.
@DanLucas86 Is this the start of your hoped-for collapse? Don't want you tearing out what remains of your hair. Thom Yorke is worried...
— Ravi Nair (@palfreyman1414) March 7, 2015
5th over Ireland 21-1 (Porterfield 8, Joyce 2) Is Joyce out first ball? It’s a thick outside edge, prodding forward, but no one is convinced that it’s carried through to first slip. Taylor goes up, but he’s the only one who looks convinced and indeed the replays suggest pretty definitively that it’s bounced up into the down-pointing fingers. Not out is the call. The batsman calmly clips his next ball to mid-on for a single. “What would you have done at the toss?” is the Sky Sports viewers’ question; “I’m probably the wrong person to ask,” deadpans Nass. Porterfield pushes for one, then Joyce gets a thick inside edge to square-leg for the same.
4th over Ireland 18-1 (Porterfield 7, Joyce 0) The former-England-former-Ireland batsman Ed Joyce is the new man as Stirling’s bad run continues. Once again though, Zimbabwe make a good start; it’s the final 15 overs that have been a problem for them. Porterfield clips a straight one to backward square leg for a couple. They’re the only runs from the over. The ball looks like it might be holding up in the pitch a bit, which, combined with the swing, makes this a tricky start for Ireland.
3rd over Ireland 16-1 (Porterfield 5, Joyce 0) There’s a fair bit of movement for the seamers here so I guess the trick will be to pitch it up – not least because the square boundaries are Dinklage short. Porterfield drives, a touch airily, through extra cover for three as Chakavba reels it in well. Stirling clips square, also in the air, for a couple more, so Taylor brings Chakavba into silly mid-on on the drive. It restricts the batsmen’s scoring options and Stirling goes trying to force the issue.
Wicket! Stirling c Williams b Panyangara 10
This isn’t a great shot or a great ball. Short and wide outside off, and Stirling drives half-heartedly off the back-foot straight to point.
2nd over Ireland 11-0 (Porterfield 2, Stirling 8) Nasser Hussain pronounces “Pool A” like the French word for chicken, poulet. Chatara, as is the norm, takes the other new ball and he gets one to nip back into Porterfield and misses the stumps by a whisker. That’s a lovely ball to start. His third ball is less lovely, a leg-side wide and it’s followed by a straight one that’s nudged to extra cover for a single. Stirling is kept honest by the rest of the ove.r
1st over Ireland 9-0 (Porterfield 1, Stirling 8) Panyangara has the new ball and finds a wee bit of movement away from the left-handed Porterfield. Said left-hander, the Irish captain, gets of the mark with a push through cover for a single. There’s half a shout for LBW against Stirling first ball but it was sliding well down leg. Too straight, with the breeze, next up and Stirling guides it through mid-on for four. That was as easy as you like for Stirling, who started this tournament brilliantly, falling just short of a hundred in the win over the West Indies, but he hasn’t been able to buy a run since. Four more from the final ball as Stirling clips a half-volley through square-ish mid-wicket.
There has been one other game at Hobart in 2015. England made 300+ in the tri-series against Australia and lost it.
Stop laughing at the photo.
Fun fact: I used to try and do my hair like Thom Yorke. It wasn’t a good look (left).
Time for The National Anthem
@DanLucas86 Hoping for a KOB special now. We are supporting the Home Nations right?
— Ravi Nair (@palfreyman1414) March 7, 2015
With all apologies to Kevin et al, I’m putting my negligible Irish ancestry to one side here and cheering on the biggest collapse ever, the first innings done and dusted in under and hour and waking Simon Burnton up before I dash home to bed.
But, given I’m on a roll, I’m predicting Ireland to win by three wickets, with four overs remaining. SHUTUPIDIDNTWRITETHATIKNOWWHATIMDOING
Updated
Team news
As expected, the struggling Regis Chakabva gets another shot with Chigumbura. Ireland drop Max Sorensen, who was wayward against South Africa, and bring in Alex Cusack.
Ireland: WTS Porterfield*, PR Stirling, EC Joyce, NJ O’Brien, A Balbirnie, GC Wilson†, KJ O’Brien, JF Mooney, AR Cusack,GH Dockrell, A McBrine
Zimbabwe: CJ Chibhabha, Sikandar Raza, SF Mire, H Masakadza, BRM Taylor*†, SC Williams, CR Ervine, RW Chakabva, T Mupariwa, T Panyangara, TL Chatara
The toss
Ah here we are. Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwe’s stand-in captain in the absence of the injured Elton Chigumbura, has won it and elected to have a bowl.
Er, this is a bit annoying. We won’t actually get to see the toss as Sky are showing the golf right up until just before play begins. I’ll keep scouring my secret sources, which totally aren’t other places on the internet BECAUSE THERE ARE NO OTHER PLACES ON THE INTERNET ALRIGHT? for the latest.
There is another match in progress, right now, that may have a fair impact on these two side’s qualifying hopes. Pakistan are 132-3 against South Africa and AB de Villiers, your new god, has taken a wicket. Niall McVeigh is my late-night company in the office/your OBOer for that one.
Oh before I forget, can I just draw your attention to this from yesterday’s OBO?
Damn right I’m braggin’.
Morning folks. We may still only be about two thirds of the way through this long ol’ group stage, but – and here’s something I didn’t expect to say – who cares? Given the quality of more of the matches than we might have hoped – in terms of excitement if not actual good cricket – it’s proved anything but interminable. And, even better, we’ve reached the knock-out stages early.
Well, kinda. Either team could win this and still miss out on the quarter finals. Indeed if Zimbabwe win they probably still will. But for the loser it’s likely to be terminal. Both sides have India yet to play and we can probably really consider a game against MS Dhoni’s Terminators a write-off.
So the favourites for today’s match can be very confident, right? Well that would be great if any of us had the first clue who tonight’s favourites are. Zimbabwe got hammered by Chris Gayle and the West Indies, who have largely been rubbish and were well beaten by Ireland. The Irish themselves though were thrashed by the West Indies-pummelling South Africa, who got given a bit of a fright by Zimbabwe.
Chris Gayle scored 215 against Zimbabwe and two hundred and fifteen is the number of years that have passed so far in this group stage. Nevertheless, we’re no closer to finding a form guide in Pool B than we were all those many moons ago. If ever Associate Nation v One of the Worst Test Sides ever was worth getting up at 2am for (because your OBOer is committed and wants a shower before this) then this is it.
As my colleague Wires – no relation to Tyres from Spaced – points out, play begins at 3.30am GMT, 2.30pm Hobart time (oh it’s in Hobart, the first match there this tournament) or 5.30am Harare time. I’ll bring you team news, toss news and tired ruminations as and when.
Dan will be here shortly, with play due to begin at 3.30am GMT, 2.30pm local time.
In the meantime, some pre-match previews, courtesy of trusty correspondent, the wires:
Ireland must put their chastening South Africa experience behind them swiftly to stay on their game when it really matters as a hectic late run of World Cup Pool B fixtures looms. William Porterfield knows his team simply cannot afford any hint of a hangover from their 201-run trouncing at the hands of Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and company when they face Zimbabwe in Hobart on Saturday.
A quarter-final place is still realistic – but with two more matches still to come in six days, against table-topping India and finally Pakistan, a slip-up against Zimbabwe will surely be costly. Ireland, on the back of an opening win over West Indies and then another against UAE, had no answer to the South Africans on Tuesday as they racked up a score in excess of 400 for the second successive match.
Porterfield has been at pains to ensure his team do not therefore carry any extra psychological baggage with them from Canberra to Tasmania. “You’ve got to put it behind yourself pretty quickly,” said the Irish captain. “The tournament’s back-end fixtures come pretty quickly for us. It’s a pretty big two points for us … [but] I don’t think it’s make or break. Every game, we’ve gone into it looking for those two points … and against Zimbabwe it’s not going to be any different.”
Zimbabwe will be without their captain Elton Chigumbura, after the all-rounder tore a thigh muscle in the field during last weekend’s 20-run defeat against Pakistan in Brisbane. That outcome was a significant setback against opponents who had previously appeared vulnerable, and especially after Zimbabwe restricted Pakistan to 235 for seven. In a tight group, they too could nonetheless still qualify for the last eight – and wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor remains optimistic, despite a tough final fixture against India.
“It’s definitely a little more added pressure,” he said. “Ireland are playing some good cricket, and we feel we are 80% there. I think if we can just close that gap a little bit more, we’re heading in the right direction for a good win against Ireland. If we can do that, India have been on the road for a long time … there’s no reason why we can’t have that self-belief that we can win.
