Ireland seal ODI victory against Zimbabwe

Stormont’s first one-day international

Ireland 288-9 (50 overs): Forbes 54, Ndhlovu 3-50, Tshuma 2-37

Zimbabwe 191 (48.1 overs): Mugeri-Tiripano 48, Kelly 2-17, Prendergast 2-20

Ireland defeated 97 runs to win.

At Stormont on Saturday, Ireland won the first of two women’s one-day international matches by 97 runs.

The hosts returned from a 50-over series that they had won earlier in the week to wrap up the T20 series.

With 43 runs, the 19-year-old passed the 1, 000 mark in one-day cricket, having previously reached that milestone in the T20 format.

With Gaby Lewis, Laura Delaney, and Clare Shillington as the only Ireland women with more than 1, 000 career runs in both formats, Orla Prendergast and Hunter added another 1,000 to their 50.

Before Lewis was caught by Tendai Makusha off Lindokuhle Mabhero’s 51, Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bat for Ireland. Sarah Forbes and Gaby Lewis established a strong partnership with them.

Loreen Tshuma took the wicket shortly after Forbes took the next five for 54, but Prendergast’s half-century would help increase Ireland’s lead before Kelis Ndhlovu took the first of her three wickets.

Before the hosts’ late in the over, with the hosts setting a target of 288 with Hunter’s 43 and Laura Delany’s 34, Ireland would be in a strong position.

Zimbabwe started their innings shakily, with Tshuma and Chiedza Dhururu being bowled by Prendergast for just one.

Arlene Kelly then removed Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano for 48, who had already beaten Ndhlovu for 21.

While Runyaro Pasipanodya posted 32 not out, Jane Maguire and Cara Murray each took two wickets to give Ireland the win, Lara McBride and Modester Mupachikwa took the other two.