Munyonga Steers Zimbabwe to Thrilling Win Against Ireland After Young’s Four-Wicket Burst
Author: Joy Sarcar
Updated At:
Tony Munyounga’s 43* and Craig Young’s four wickets help Zimbabwe to propel win over Ireland taking a lead with 1-0 in the series.
Zimbabwe seals a three-wicket win over Ireland in Harare and Munyonga stole the attention for exemplary play-off in the game. The team’s victory in the three-game T20I series gives them a lead, with the third encounter scheduled on February 25.
Young Proves to be the Perfect Replacement
Young was not a part of the playing XI squad initially but made an entry due to Mark Adair's injury. Adair is known for his phenomenal bowling scalp in ODIs from Ireland’s team.
- Young did not disappoint the team, as his new ball made up for the replacement pretty well.
- He opened up with a short ball pulled by Zimbabwe opener Marumani who half-heartedly took it towards the short fine leg.
- After three balls, he took Wessly at the outside edge to Paul Stirling. In the preceding over, Brain Bennett cut towards the deep backward point pulling Ireland into the leading position.
- When Ireland was hunting a wicket, he scalped Tashinga Musekiwa at a crucial turn leaving him with the count of 4/24.
Gritty Chase By Zimbabwe in Lower-Order Pulled Triumph
Zimbabwe squad rolled out at batting front with Burl and Raza as the perfect batters to own the position.
- Ireland tirelessly pushed bowlers to build pressure, and Raza was able to hit two fours bringing him to 27 off 22 balls.
- Burl kept up the squad hopes with 27 at the strike rate of 135, trying to maintain the template.
- Ireland dismissed Burl while edging and Raza hitting during the off-side making Zimbabwe land up at 64 for 5.
- Munyonga took the responsibility there on to cope with the tricky period of middle-overs. He contributed a 33-run spell as the sixth wicket with Musekiwa (15) and the next 15 runs with Wellington Masakadza.
- Richard Ngarava was at two fours in the 19th crucial over before Munyonga was able to mark victory with winning runs in the match.
Ireland Baffled After the Rain Break in Match
Stirling left the pitch early, an another opener Lorcan Tucker with 46 runs, tried to pull off the innings with Tector at 28. Tector was scalped by Raza in the eighth over when Ireland’s scoreboard displayed 59/2.
But Tucker and Curtis Campher added 40 runs with 5.5 overs but their wickets post the rain break stuttered the Ireland team. Zimbabwe kept its bowling tight there on and winded up for Ireland at 137/8.
Zimbabwe’s Tony Munyonga shined out as player of the match for his strategic play to chase the target. Fans are anticipating a high-voltage action in the decider on Feb 25 as both teams are set for final showdown.
With the T20 format gaining immense popularity, many cricket enthusiasts are exploring legal online cricket betting platforms to engage with the game beyond just watching. These platforms offer exciting odds, live betting features, and in-depth match predictions, making them a go-to choice for passionate bettors.
READ NEXT
Australia Secures Historic Chase Against England in Champions Trophy 2025
Australia pulls off a record chase against England in the Champions Trophy 2025, scripting history with a stunning performance. Relive the thrilling moments of this epic clash
PSL 2025 - Can Islamabad United Win PSL for the 2nd Consecutive Time?
Islamabad United have won the PSL title thrice and in PSL 2025 they will try their best to win it for the fourth time.