Zimbabwe and Ireland played to a thrilling tie in a tense finish to their World Cup Group D match at Sabina Park here on Thursday.
Opener Jeremy Bray carried his bat for an undefeated 115 off 137 balls, his second one-day international hundred, to give Ireland a sniff of a chance with a respectable total of 221 for nine off their allocation of 50 overs.
The Zimbabweans appeared to be on course for victory on 203 for five, but they lost their last five wickets for 18 runs in the space of 38 balls to give Ireland a memorable finish to their first match in the World Cup.
There have only been two other tied matches in World Cup history — South Africa, chasing 213, tied with Australia in 1999 at Birmingham, and Sri Lanka, chasing a revised target of 230 off 45 overs, tied with the Proteas in 2003 at Durban.
It all came down to Zimbabwe needing seven runs from the final over bowled by spinner Andrew White.
Stuart Matsikenyeri, whose unbeaten 73 off 76 balls was the top score for Zimbabwe, drove the first ball to long-off for two, then cut the second to deep point for another two, before he pulled a full toss just short of mid-wicket fielder Boyd Rankin to scramble a single.
Last man Edward Rainsford drove the fourth ball to long-off for the single to give the strike back to Matsikenyeri, whose top-edged cut lobbed a chance to short third man.
Irish skipper Trent Johnson, the fielder, leapt, but he could only get his fingertips to the ball and the batsmen crossed for two.
With one run required for victory, White bowled a flat, fast, full-length delivery and Matsikenyeri drove and missed, but keeper Niall O’Brien had the presence of mind to collect the ball and throw to the bowler’s end, when Rainsford had backed up too far, and White ran him out in a chaotic conclusion.
It all unravelled for Zimbabwe, when Brendon Taylor was run out for 24 in the 44th over, backing up too far and failed to beat a deflection from the hands of McCallan onto the stumps at the bowlers’ end.
Zimbabwe were still favourites to reach the target, needing 19 runs from 38 balls, but Gary Brent was adjudged lbw for three in the 48th over, and this is where it all went pear-shaped.
Captain Prosper Utseya was caught at cover for one driving straight into the lap of fielder Eoin Morgan, and Christopher Mpofu was run out looking for a single in the penultimate over — a double-wicket maiden bowled by Kevin O’Brien.
Spin bowler Kyle McCallan was the most successful Irish bowler with two wickets for 40 runs from seven overs, after opening batsman Vusimuzi Sibanda had paced Zimbabwe with 67 off 84 balls.
Zimbabwe started confidently, but Terrence Duffin was a victim of his own indiscretion.
He was dropped twice in the same over that Boyd Rankin had him caught behind for 12 driving loosely at a ball that nipped across him in the sixth over.
Justice Chibhabha arrived and with Sibanda playing the aggressive role, they put Zimbabwe on course for victory with a stand of 66 for the second wicket.
They were just beginning to get into the swing of things, when Chibhabha was caught at mid-off off Irish captain Trent Johnson for 12 in the 21st over.
His dismissal precipitated a purple patch for the Irish. They collected the wickets of Sean Williams, Sibanda, and Chigumbura in the space of 29 balls to leave Zimbabwe wobbling 133 for five after 30 overs.
Earlier, Bray, a 33-year-old fitness instructor born in Sydney, Australia, remained steadfast, despite wickets tumbling around him and reached his landmark, when he square drove Mpofu to third man for the last of his 10 boundaries. – Sapa-AFP