Cricket: The return of captain Heath Streak restored some much-needed confidence to the Zimbabwe camp as the tourists recorded an impressive eight-wicket win over Ireland at Eglinton, Co Derry, yesterday.
Streak, who was rested for Zimbabwe's embarrassing 10-wicket defeat at Stormont three days ago, produced an inspired spell of bowling to dismiss the Irish top order.
Ireland captain Jason Molins, who scored an unbeaten century in Belfast, won the toss and decided to bat but his decision backfired as Zimbabwe ripped through the top order, reducing the hosts to 36 for five at one stage.
Ireland's innings started badly when Molins mistimed an attempted pull off the bowling of Streak without a run on the board and was gratefully caught at mid-on by Douglas Hondo.
Streak's opening spell produced three wickets for just 16 runs from his seven overs as Ireland capitulated, and with Andy Blignaut claiming two wickets for 32 runs, Zimbabwe's bowling attack was always in the driving seat.
Dominic Joyce, brother of Middlesex batsman Ed, added an invaluable 29 for the hosts before driving a catch to Streak off the bowling of the erratic Hondo, as Ireland stumbled to 75 for six.
Peter Gillespie and Paul Mooney momentarily steadied the ship in sharing a 62-run, eighth-wicket partnership before Dion Ebrahim caught Gillespie for 56 off the bowling of Hondo with Ireland posting a total of 196.
Streak finished with figures of three for 29 and Hondo, who was punished for some wayward bowling by Molins three days earlier, made amends with three wickets for 53 runs.
For once the fragile Zimbabwe batting line-up showed some fight, as openers Ebrahim and Doug Marillier put on 52 for the first wicket before the introduction of slow bowler Andy White proved successful for the Irish as Molins caught Marillier for 23.
Ebrahim anchored his side's run-chase by scoring an unbeaten half-century but even he was forced to play second fiddle to Stuart Carlisle, who made a quickfire 49, as the pair put on 82 for the second wicket. Carlisle eventually gave Mooney a return catch with the score on 134.
IRELAND
J Molins c Hondo b Streak0
J Bray c Taibu b Streak 9
A Botha c Taibu b Streak 8
N O'Brien c Flower b Blignaut 2
P Gillespie c Ebrahim b Hondo 56
W McCallan c Taibu b Blignaut 1
D Joyce c Streak b Hondo 29
A White run out 14
P Mooney c Marillier b Price 31
C Armstrong not out 13
G Neely c and b Hondo 1
Extras (lb-7 nb-9 w-16) 32
Total (all out, 48.4 overs) 196
Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-15 3-21 4-34 5-36 6-75 7-112 8-174 9-185
Bowling: Streak 10-2-29-3, Blignaut 6-0-32-2, Brent 9-3-15-0, Hondo 9.4-0-53-3, Price 8-0-36-1, Marillier 6-0-24-0.
ZIMBABWE
D Marillier c Molins b White 23
D Ebrahim not out 81
S Carlisle c and b Mooney 49
G Flower not out 31
Extras (b-2 lb-2 nb-4 w-7) 15
Total (for two wickets, 40.1 overs) 199
Fall of wickets: 1-52 2-134
Did not bat: H Streak, T Taibu, S Matsikenyeri, A Blignaut, G Brent, R Price, D Hondo.
Bowling: Mooney 7-0-29-1, Neely 8-0-38-0, Botha 8-0-32-0, White 7-1-40-1, McCallan 7.1-0-37-0, Armstrong 3-0-19-0.
