Zimbabwe player Kelis Ndhlovu’s all-round show saves the day for the home side as the 2nd ODI ends in a hard-fought tie. Ireland led by skipper Laura Delany took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series courtesy of impressive performances from the trio of bowlers Ava Canning (2/19), Freya Sargent (3/29), and Cara Murray (3/32). The opening batter Gaby Lewis was awarded Player of the Match for her outstanding performance (65 off 41 balls) with the bat.
Zimbabwe’s Strong Start
Ireland skipper Laura Delany won the toss and opted to field first in the 2nd ODI. After being inserted to bat first, the Zimbabwe openers got off to a solid start stitching a massive 92-run opening partnership before skipper Laura Delany cleaned up the opposition skipper Mary-Anne Musonda in the 21st over of the innings to provide the first breakthrough for Ireland. wicket-keeper batter Chiedza Dhururu soon followed her back to the pavilion and Zimbabwe found themselves at 92/2 in the 22nd over.
Building Partnerships for Zimbabwe
Ashley Ndiraya joined Pellagia Mujaji at the crease, and the duo stitched a 37-run partnership for the third wicket before Arlene Kelly cleaned up Pellagia Mujaji to provide the third breakthrough for Ireland. Kelis Ndhlovu joined Ashley Ndiraya at the crease and the duo stitched another crucial 67-run partnership for the 4th wicket to bring the home side to a position of strength, setting a platform for a strong finish. Arlene Kelly came back and picked up the wicket of Kelis Ndhlovu to provide the 4th breakthrough for her side.
The home side Zimbabwe eventually ended up with a total of 227/9 in their quota of overs. They suffered a collapse as they lost their next five wickets for just 31 runs. Wicket-keeper batter Chiedza Dhururu (46 off 74 balls), Ashley Ndiraya (41 off 54 balls), skipper Marie-Anne Musonda (41 off 55 balls), and Kelis Ndhlovu (34 off 40 balls) were the top performers with the bat for Zimbabwe. Arlene Kelly (4/35), Ava Canning (0/15), and skipper Laura Delany (1/24) were the top performers with the ball for Ireland.
Ireland’s Resilient Batting
Chasing a target of 228, the Ireland openers got off to a solid start with an 84-run opening partnership. Kelis Ndhlovu trapped Leah Paul on the pads to provide the first breakthrough for Zimbabwe. Ireland Wicket-keeper batter Amy Hunter joined Gaby Lewis at the crease and the duo stitched a 27-run partnership for the 2nd wicket before Kelis Ndhlovu cleaned up Gaby Lewis to provide the 2nd breakthrough for Zimbabwe. The visitors, Ireland suffered a mini collapse as they lost their next three wickets for just 29 runs and found themselves in a spot of bother.
Rebecca Stokell and Arlene Kelly formed a crucial 47-run partnership for the 6th wicket before Zimbabwe seized the breakthrough by finding Arlene Kelly short of her crease. The rain break eventually curtailed the encounter, reducing the game to 43 overs with a revised target of 203 for Ireland. Eventually, the host team Zimbabwe restricted Ireland to 202 in their available quota of 43 overs, causing them to lose their next three wickets for just 15 runs. As a result, the 2nd ODI between these sides ended in a hard-fought tie.
Gaby Lewis (42 off 64 balls), Leah Paul (34 off 55 balls), and Rebecca Stokell (30 off 31 balls) were the top performers with the bat for Ireland. Kelis Ndhlovu (3/36), Precious Marange (1/20), and Loreen Tshuma (2/48) were the top performers with the ball for Zimbabwe.
