Analysis: Harry Tector and Curtis Campher makes the highest stand to get Ireland across the line

With one match remaining, Ireland emerged victorious in a closely contested match against Zimbabwe, leveling the T20I series at 1-1; Ireland’s fortunes were reversed by a 66-run partnership of 43 balls between Harry Tector and Curtis Campher.

With one match remaining, Ireland emerged victorious in a closely contested match against Zimbabwe, leveling the T20I series at 1-1. 

Ireland’s fortunes were reversed by a 66-run partnership of 43 balls between Harry Tector and Curtis Campher, who later shared the triumph with George Dockrell and Mark Adair.

Earlier, Zimbabwe was struggling at 78 for 5, but an unbroken partnership of 87 for the sixth wicket between Ryan Burl and Clive Madande helped them reach 165 for 5.

However, Ireland was reduced to 20 for 2 in the chase within four overs, unable to get the ball away on a slow surface, as Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani prevented Andy Balbirnie and Paul Stirling from getting off to a fast start like they had in the opening match.

To make it difficult to obtain boundaries, Zimbabwe’s bowlers kept it tight and made good use of slower deliveries. 

However, to complete the power play on a positive note and give Ireland some momentum, Tector and Lorcan Tucker took Trevor Gwandu for 18 runs. In his next over, Gwandu responded, with Tucker providing a straightforward catch to short fine.

At that point, Tector and Campher started working on the damage. The two of them used the field placements and ground measurements to their advantage, making sure that runs continued to come even though Zimbabwe was giving them nothing in return.

They consistently identified the gaps, and even in the absence of boundaries, they continued to hit it to the long midwicket boundary in search of twos.

Zimbabwe’s overstretching in the bowling department aided Ireland. They were already lacking their strongest spin danger with Sikandar Raza sidelined for two games following his demerit point accumulation for fighting with Josh Little and Campher in the opening game. 

Zimbabwe’s stand-in captain, Sean Williams, who could have plagued the two right-hand batsmen on a slow track, was limited to bowling only one over before a side injury kept him out of the match.

BEST PERFORMANCES – BATTERS

HT Tector IRE

48 runs (38) 5 fours 0 six

C Madande ZIM

44 runs (39) 2 fours 1 six

BEST PERFORMANCES – BOWLERS

MR Adair IRE

O        4

M       0

R       28

W      2

ECO 7

R Ngarava ZIM

O      4

M     0

R      33

W     2

ECO 8.25

PARTNERSHIPS

Zimbabwe

SC Williams              TS Kamunhukamwe

17 (9)            47 (24)      29 (15)

RP Burl                    C Madande

36 (30)       87* (69)   44 (39)

Ireland

LJ Tucker             HT Tector

12 (11)     34 (24)   19 (13)

C Campher           HT Tector

37 (24)      66 (43)   23 (19)

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Harry Tector, IRE

48 (38)