Ireland won the final One Day International against Zimbabwe by seven wickets to level the three-game series and score 10 important points for the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.
Their seven-wicket victory was helped on by the ever-reliable batsman Paul Stirling and captain Andrew Balbirnie, who scored 77 runs altogether and fired their side to victory.
Stormont could not escape the rain once again but it did not halt proceedings for the second game running, allowing Ireland to ease to victory in the final game of the series.
However, the match saw the total amount of overs reduced from 50 per team to 34 for Zimbabwe’s batting and Ireland had to chase their adjusted total of 118 in 32 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
The visitor’s had scored 131 in their overs, a total that was led by talisman Craig Ervine who hit 57 on the day teammate Brendan Taylor played his final game.
Taylor scored seven runs for his side as he brought an end to a 17-year international career with the side.
However, Ireland’s bowling led to wickets and Andy McBrine and Josh Little could only muster up a combined six runs in 59 balls.
The Zimbabweans ended their attack with 131 runs to their name, further reduced to 118 and the host’s made light work of their target.
The home side were almost at the half-century before their first wicket of the day came in the form of William Porterfield, whose 18 runs put Ireland on 48 alongside Stirling’s opening 30.
Captain Balbirnie helped his side home and steered Ireland into fourth on the Super League table on 50 points after the series.
Ireland’s focus will now turn to the T20 World Cup in October, with no ODI play scheduled until an away series against West Indies in January 2022.
