Ireland take out series as momentum builds for T20 World Cup
Ireland took out the fourth T20I at Bready by 64 runs to claim an unassailable 3-1 series lead with a game to go as Mark Adair (4/23) claimed career-best figures to secure Player of the Match honours.
Sent out to bat, Ireland muscled their way to a total of 174/4 with captain Andy Balbirnie proving particularly effective with 36 off 22.
The hosts raced out of the blocks, pilfering 57 runs in the power play as the in-form Paul Stirling (39) and Kevin O’Brien put on an 89-run opening stand.
Closing in on a half-century, O’Brien (47) was denied by the bowling of Wellington Masakadza and an excellent catch from Milton Shumba at long-off. Failing to connect perfectly with an inside-out drive and Shumba pounced, running in and diving low to pouch the chance. Masakadza, Zimbabwe’s best bowler for the day with figures 2/22 from his four overs, struck again in the 14th, having Stirling (39) caught at extra cover.
In between the two dismissals, Balbirnie got into the swing of things quickly, racing to 17 off the first nine balls he faced with the highlight to that point being a huge six over deep square leg against Wesley Madhevere (0/24).
With a solid platform set, Ireland swung freely from there on, with Shane Getkate (12 off 9), William McClintock (15* off 11) and George Dockrell (14* off nine) all making cameos.
Zimbabwe’s chase started on the wrong foot as Tadiwanashe Marumani (4) fell in the second over, the first of Adair’s four victims. The opener played a full ball straight back into the hands of the seamer, who struck two more times in his next over, drawing an edge from Regis Chakabva (11) before bowling Dion Myers (4) with an in-swinging yorker.
By the end of the Powerplay they had slumped to 32/4, with Madhereve perishing for six to Craig Young (1/23).
Fighting back from there was always going to prove difficult, and so it proved with captain Craig Ervine (28 off 30) and Luke Jonge (24* off 20) the only members of the touring team to pass 15.