Little, Campher star as Ireland wins Zimbabwe ODI

Victory gave Ireland the lead in the three-match series after the first was abandoned due to rain on Wednesday. The final match is scheduled for Sunday.

FILE PHOTO - Zimbabwe’s Gary Ballance (L) plays a shot while Ireland’s Lorcan Tucker (R) looks on during the first one-day international cricket match between Zimbabwe and Ireland at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on January 18, 2023. | Photo Credit: AFP

Josh Little claimed a national-record six wickets for 36, and Curtis Campher hit a brisk 66 as Ireland beat Zimbabwe by four wickets on Friday to take a 1-0 lead in a one-day international series.

Having won the toss and opted to bat first, Zimbabwe slumped to 70-6 before a middle-order revival led by Wellington Masakadza (40) saw the host all out for 166 in 42.5 overs.

Seamer Little wreaked havoc in the fourth over, claiming three wickets off five deliveries at Harare Sports Club.

He dismissed Zimbabwe star Sikandar Raza, deputising as captain for injured Craig Ervine, soon after for just two.

Ireland lost Andy Balbirnie to a golden duck, and fellow opener and captain Paul Stirling (14) fell cheaply as the visitor stumbled to 29-2 in an innings briefly halted by rain.

Campher then took charge, striking 10 fours off 71 balls, and stands of 52 with Harry Tector and 43 with Lorcan Tucker set up the tourists to reach 170-6 with 59 balls remaining.

Victory gave Ireland the lead in the three-match series after the first was abandoned due to rain on Wednesday. The final match is scheduled for Sunday.

Player-of-the-match Little said: “It was nice that the team won, and I enjoyed some personal success.

“I managed to beat the bat today on a few occasions, and it kept the ball new, allowing me to swing it.

“My in-swingers were a decent option to the right-handers, so that is definitely a plan. I was quite sore after my spell, so I want to get into an ice bath and be ready for Sunday.”

Stirling, captaining Ireland for the first time on the white-ball tour of Zimbabwe, described the 10 overs of Little as “one of the best spells I have seen”.

“We wanted to go 1-0 up and ticked that box. There is a series to win, and we will come back hungry on Sunday.”

Raza said: “We have had too many top-order collapses this year. We needed at least 200 runs to be competitive.”

Brief Scores

Zimbabwe 166 in 42.5 overs (W. Masakadza 40, R. Burl 38, C. Madande 33; J. Little 6-36) v Ireland 170-6 in 40.1 overs (C. Campher 66, L. Tucker 28, M. Adair 25 not out; B. Muzarabani 2-23, B. Mavuta 2-37)

Ireland won by four wickets