The Boys in Green make it three wins from four in this World Cup
Ed Joyce and Andrew Balbirnie were the stars with the bat while Alex Cusack seized the day with a superb final over as Ireland won by 5 runs.
Joyce made 112 while Balbirnie was run out tantalisingly short of a century. Together their partnership of 138 set the scene for an Irish total of 331.
The score meant Zimbabwe would have to post the record run chase in the tournament’s history to defeat the Irish. They gave it an almighty rattle with Brendan Taylor and Sean Williams the chief architects of a nail-gnawing pursuit.
When Taylor finally went for 121 it was down to a crafty bit of bowling from Alex Cusack. Taylor misjudged the slower ball when going for another big hit and was caught by Kevin O’Brien.
The big moment of controversy came with Williams on 96 and swinging for the fences. He lustily connected with a Kevin O’Brien delivery but was caught at the boundary by John Mooney. He walked off, dejected, but replays showed Mooney’s foot may have disturbed the boundary cover, which would have given him a six and got him a century.
This was the “controversial” catch on the boundary by Mooney. Out or 6? #bbccricket pic.twitter.com/J514E9bBlw
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) March 7, 2015
As it was, however, Williams was back in the Zimbabwe dressing room, Regis Chakabva gave Zimbabwe hope but Cusack’s clutch, wicket-taking bowling at the death saw Ireland home.
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