Hold: Fielding made the difference for Ireland
Zimbabwe, whose campaign is now effectively over, their heads hung low as she walked away, but she would be proud of themselves for almost pulling off only their second 300-plus chase.
As for Ireland, they are now fourth in Group B with six points, behind Pakistan on net run-rate, but it would be especially happy she none other than George Dockrell help their one-dimensional attack bowler found. Bellerive Oval's first match at the World Cup was a predictable bat-off, but Alex Cusack kept his own, taking four wickets and giving away only 32 runs at 3.36 per over.
The match was lit by a few lively innings of both sides. Ed Joyce's 112 earned him the award for Man-of-the-Match, and Andy Balbirnie's 97 eventually overpowered Brendan Taylor's 121 and a heroic 96 from Sean Williams.
Imagine a steep 332 for victory, Zimbabwe looked down and out when Taylor left in the 38th, but Williams brilliantly orchestrated chase with Regis Chakabva. He never let the run-rate rise above nine per over, but once he was dismissed in the 47th, Ireland got one foot in the door.
Williams, after a run-out attempt survived though, Kevin O'Brien heaved towards midwicket where John Mooney took the catch above his head. The TV Referees asked Mooney's left boot had cut the border. Eight repetitions were inconclusive, but by that time Williams had already gone into the dressing room and the referees signaled was the catch.
Enter Mupariwa. With 26 needed from 12 balls, he hammered two fours and a six, his first since his ODI debut, Kevin O'Brien, leaving Zimbabwe with only seven required off the last over.
But keeping with the hectic nature of the last couple of overs, there would be a final twist. Cusack Chakabva bowled first ball with an off-cutter, which means that Ireland still requires a wicket. Tendai Chatara inside-edged the second ball for a single, and the comparison was required from four to six. Mupariwa was just one big hit away from a famous victory, but off the third ball, he could only increase takes place from a distance, as Porterfield successfully kept from his third grab of the game, on long, sparks wild celebrations from his teammates.
Not many would have expected such an end when Zimbabwe made a watchful start to the chase with the openers Chamu Chibhaba and Sikandar Raza falling five balls at each other. Stirling dived to his left to complete an outstanding catch fire at first slip to Raza, while Porterfield fell from point to secure bag Chibhaba's skier in the ninth over. Zimbabwe's innings was more trouble when Hamilton Masakadza tickled to Gary Wilson, Kevin O'Brien's first over.
The experiment of promoting Solomon Mire to No. 3, he was was caught on the point for only 11 minutes after he was dropped by O'Brien at cover. Zimbabwe's required run-rate hit eight per over in the 20th over, leaving a lot on the plate of Williams and Taylor.
When Taylor had gotten off the mark, he was reaching the fourth Zimbabwean to 5,000 ODI runs. He liked to find the boundaries of the early stages, striking Kevin O'Brien by mid-off twice, as well as in the middle of and midwicket. Andy McBrine was cleared at midwicket for the first six of the innings, then came the blow to midwicket off slow offspin Paul Stirling. Taylor reached his fifty in the 24th over, off just 38 balls, and answered with four boundaries. He followed it by smacking Stirling little over a diving John Mooney at long-on for a second six.
In the 35th over, Taylor reached his seventh ODI hundred, coming off only 79 balls. In Dockrell last over, he piled in the left-arm spinner with two sixes and a four through wide mid on. The 18-run spoiled than the figures of the best bowler of Ireland, who ended his 10 overs giving away 56 runs for one wicket.
Taylor was eventually dismissed for 121 when Cusack duped him with a slower ball that was easily caught by O'Brien. It was only the second time in his career ODI that Taylor was dismissed after making a hundred.
Williams remained unfazed and hit seven fours and three sixes in his 83-ball knock, hacking over square-leg and midwicket with equal aplomb. He ran Ireland ragged with his pace between the wickets, and completed 2000 ODI runs in the 25th over. He ended up making his highest ODI score, but it could be so much more.
Sean Williams' controversial dismissal for 96 was the turning point of pursuit Zimbabwe © AFP
Earlier, Joyce's well-paced hundred, and the continued good form of Balbirnie innings helped Ireland to rise to their highest ever ODI score - 331 8. But it was never considered safe on a flat field, especially with a one-dimensional bowling attack.
Joyce came during the third and over a ridge short of first slip and a dropped catch fell when he skied off Mupariwa on 34. He reached his fifty in the 23rd over, survived from 62 balls. Ireland hundred grew by then, but the pace of the innings was quite lethargic.
The arrival of Balbirnie, after a 63-run partnership between Joyce and Porterfield, changed the complexion of the innings. He added 138 runs in just 18.3 overs with Joyce in to recover the advantage back. Balbirnie was batting at No. 4 for the first time, but he was adjusted to what was needed in the stage. New to the fold, he left Joyce doing the bulk of batting during their collaboration, which eventually became Ireland's highest second wicket stand in ODIs.
Joyce seemed more authoritative after crossing fifty, hitting sixes over midwicket, square leg and long-on. He reached his third ODI hundred (and the second for Ireland) from 98 balls and was dropped for a second time at 105 Craig Ervine at cover. However, the same fielder caught a simple catch at midwicket to finally get rid of Joyce, of which 112 came from 103 balls.
Balbirnie took over and clattered 58 runs in 5.4 overs with Kevin O'Brien. Taylor, the stand-in captain, much of the bowling changes to thwart the attack, but Balbirnie kept going at a fast pace. Ireland took 44 runs in the batting Powerplay before Balbirnie Panyangara beaten for 21 runs in the 44th over with two fours and two sixes, one of them put on one knee backward square leg.
Kevin O'Brien and Gary Wilson hit 24 and 25 respectively but Balbrinie, faced with very few deliveries after the 45th, missed out on a century when he was run in the final over for 97. Williams and Chatara took three wickets each like Zimbabwe had to do it with only three specialist bowlers and three part-timers.
Ireland hung on like they would for dear life, defeating Zimbabwe by five runs in one of the most exciting finishes in the World Cup. After 657 runs and 17 wickets a game of adversity came to an end when the Irish captain William Porterfield ran from long-on for the final set of Tawanda Mupariwa, which include almost had decisive for Zimbabwe with two fours and a six in the second last pass.
Zimbabwe, whose campaign is now effectively over, their heads hung low as she walked away, but she would be proud of themselves for almost pulling off only their second 300-plus chase.
As for Ireland, they are now fourth in Group B with six points, behind Pakistan on net run-rate, but it would be especially happy she none other than George Dockrell help their one-dimensional attack bowler found. Bellerive Oval's first match at the World Cup was a predictable bat-off, but Alex Cusack kept his own, taking four wickets and giving away only 32 runs at 3.36 per over.
The match was lit by a few lively innings of both sides. Ed Joyce's 112 earned him the award for Man-of-the-Match, and Andy Balbirnie's 97 eventually overpowered Brendan Taylor's 121 and a heroic 96 from Sean Williams.
Imagine a steep 332 for victory, Zimbabwe looked down and out when Taylor left in the 38th, but Williams brilliantly orchestrated chase with Regis Chakabva. He never let the run-rate rise above nine per over, but once he was dismissed in the 47th, Ireland got one foot in the door.
Williams, after a run-out attempt survived though, Kevin O'Brien heaved towards midwicket where John Mooney took the catch above his head. The TV Referees asked Mooney's left boot had cut the border. Eight repetitions were inconclusive, but by that time Williams had already gone into the dressing room and the referees signaled was the catch.
Enter Mupariwa. With 26 needed from 12 balls, he hammered two fours and a six, his first since his ODI debut, Kevin O'Brien, leaving Zimbabwe with only seven required off the last over.
But keeping with the hectic nature of the last couple of overs, there would be a final twist. Cusack Chakabva bowled first ball with an off-cutter, which means that Ireland still requires a wicket. Tendai Chatara inside-edged the second ball for a single, and the comparison was required from four to six. Mupariwa was just one big hit away from a famous victory, but off the third ball, he could only increase takes place from a distance, as Porterfield successfully kept from his third grab of the game, on long, sparks wild celebrations from his teammates.
Not many would have expected such an end when Zimbabwe made a watchful start to the chase with the openers Chamu Chibhaba and Sikandar Raza falling five balls at each other. Stirling dived to his left to complete an outstanding catch fire at first slip to Raza, while Porterfield fell from point to secure bag Chibhaba's skier in the ninth over. Zimbabwe's innings was more trouble when Hamilton Masakadza tickled to Gary Wilson, Kevin O'Brien's first over.
The experiment of promoting Solomon Mire to No. 3, he was was caught on the point for only 11 minutes after he was dropped by O'Brien at cover. Zimbabwe's required run-rate hit eight per over in the 20th over, leaving a lot on the plate of Williams and Taylor.
When Taylor had gotten off the mark, he was reaching the fourth Zimbabwean to 5,000 ODI runs. He liked to find the boundaries of the early stages, striking Kevin O'Brien by mid-off twice, as well as in the middle of and midwicket. Andy McBrine was cleared at midwicket for the first six of the innings, then came the blow to midwicket off slow offspin Paul Stirling. Taylor reached his fifty in the 24th over, off just 38 balls, and answered with four boundaries. He followed it by smacking Stirling little over a diving John Mooney at long-on for a second six.
In the 35th over, Taylor reached his seventh ODI hundred, coming off only 79 balls. In Dockrell last over, he piled in the left-arm spinner with two sixes and a four through wide mid on. The 18-run spoiled than the figures of the best bowler of Ireland, who ended his 10 overs giving away 56 runs for one wicket.
Taylor was eventually dismissed for 121 when Cusack duped him with a slower ball that was easily caught by O'Brien. It was only the second time in his career ODI that Taylor was dismissed after making a hundred.
Williams remained unfazed and hit seven fours and three sixes in his 83-ball knock, hacking over square-leg and midwicket with equal aplomb. He ran Ireland ragged with his pace between the wickets, and completed 2000 ODI runs in the 25th over. He ended up making his highest ODI score, but it could be so much more.
Sean Williams' controversial dismissal for 96 was the turning point of pursuit Zimbabwe © AFP
Earlier, Joyce's well-paced hundred, and the continued good form of Balbirnie innings helped Ireland to rise to their highest ever ODI score - 331 8. But it was never considered safe on a flat field, especially with a one-dimensional bowling attack.
Joyce came during the third and over a ridge short of first slip and a dropped catch fell when he skied off Mupariwa on 34. He reached his fifty in the 23rd over, survived from 62 balls. Ireland hundred grew by then, but the pace of the innings was quite lethargic.
The arrival of Balbirnie, after a 63-run partnership between Joyce and Porterfield, changed the complexion of the innings. He added 138 runs in just 18.3 overs with Joyce in to recover the advantage back. Balbirnie was batting at No. 4 for the first time, but he was adjusted to what was needed in the stage. New to the fold, he left Joyce doing the bulk of batting during their collaboration, which eventually became Ireland's highest second wicket stand in ODIs.
Joyce seemed more authoritative after crossing fifty, hitting sixes over midwicket, square leg and long-on. He reached his third ODI hundred (and the second for Ireland) from 98 balls and was dropped for a second time at 105 Craig Ervine at cover. However, the same fielder caught a simple catch at midwicket to finally get rid of Joyce, of which 112 came from 103 balls.
Balbirnie took over and clattered 58 runs in 5.4 overs with Kevin O'Brien. Taylor, the stand-in captain, much of the bowling changes to thwart the attack, but Balbirnie kept going at a fast pace. Ireland took 44 runs in the batting Powerplay before Balbirnie Panyangara beaten for 21 runs in the 44th over with two fours and two sixes, one of them put on one knee backward square leg.
Kevin O'Brien and Gary Wilson hit 24 and 25 respectively but Balbrinie, faced with very few deliveries after the 45th, missed out on a century when he was run in the final over for 97. Williams and Chatara took three wickets each like Zimbabwe had to do it with only three specialist bowlers and three part-timers.
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