Zimbabwe v Ireland, 2015-16
Wisden's review of the first ODI, Zimbabwe v Ireland, 2015-16
15-Apr-2016
At Harare, October 9, 2015. Zimbabwe won by two wickets. Ireland 219-8 (50 overs) (E. C. Joyce 53, G. C. Wilson 70*); ‡Zimbabwe 222-8 (49 overs) (C. R. Ervine 60, Sikandar Raza 60*). MoM: Sikandar Raza. ODI debut: W. P. Masakadza (Zimbabwe).
Zimbabwe gained revenge for their World Cup defeat at Hobart in March, although they scraped home with little to spare. When they declined to 171-7 in the 40th over, Ireland were slight favourites, but Sikandar Raza stayed cool. Like Craig Ervine, he enjoyed the Irish seamers, who went for 100 in a combined 19 overs on a slow pitch. Earlier, Ed Joyce and Gary Wilson had rebuilt diligently from 54-3 but, when Joyce's 88-ball innings ended in the 36th over, the total was only 137; some late hitting from Andy McBrine lifted it past 200. Slow left-armer Wellington Masakadza joined his brothers Hamilton and Shingirai (neither of whom played here) as an international cricketer.
Zimbabwe gained revenge for their World Cup defeat at Hobart in March, although they scraped home with little to spare. When they declined to 171-7 in the 40th over, Ireland were slight favourites, but Sikandar Raza stayed cool. Like Craig Ervine, he enjoyed the Irish seamers, who went for 100 in a combined 19 overs on a slow pitch. Earlier, Ed Joyce and Gary Wilson had rebuilt diligently from 54-3 but, when Joyce's 88-ball innings ended in the 36th over, the total was only 137; some late hitting from Andy McBrine lifted it past 200. Slow left-armer Wellington Masakadza joined his brothers Hamilton and Shingirai (neither of whom played here) as an international cricketer.