Zimbabwean cricket team in Ireland in 2021

The Zimbabwe cricket team toured Ireland in August and September 2021 to play three One Day International (ODI) and five Twenty20 International (T20I) matches.^[1][2] The ODI series formed part of the inaugural 2020–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.^[3][4] Cricket Ireland confirmed the fixtures in February 2021.^[5][6] Originally, three T20I matches were scheduled to be played,^[7] but two more T20I matches were added in April 2021, after planned matches against Pakistan were cancelled.^[8]

Zimbabwean cricket team in Ireland in 2021
	Ireland	Zimbabwe
Dates	27 August – 13 September 2021
Captains	Andrew Balbirnie	Craig Ervine
One Day International series
Results	3-match series drawn 1–1
Most runs	William Porterfield (158)	Craig Ervine (121)
Most wickets	Andy McBrine (4) Josh Little (4)	Blessing Muzarabani (6)
Player of the series	William Porterfield (Ire)
Twenty20 International series
Results	Ireland won the 5-match series 3–2
Most runs	Paul Stirling (234)	Craig Ervine (160)
Most wickets	Mark Adair (10)	Luke Jongwe (7)
Player of the series	Paul Stirling (Ire)

However, on 22 July 2021, Cricket Ireland announced that the series would need to be rescheduled due to quarantine requirements needed for the visiting team.^[9] The aim was to reschedule the matches for August-September 2021.^[10] Zimbabwe Cricket requested government clearance to travel to Ireland, with 19 August 2021 proposed as the date to depart for the tour.^[11] On 5 August 2021, Cricket Ireland confirmed the new itinerary for the tour,^[12] with the series starting on 27 August 2021.^[13]

Zimbabwe won the first T20I match by three runs.^[14] However, Ireland went on to win the next three matches,^[15] winning the series with a match to spare.^[16] Zimbabwe won the fifth T20I match by five runs, with Ireland winning the series 3–2.^[17]

Zimbabwe won the first ODI by 38 runs.^[18] In the second ODI, Ireland scored 282/8 before the match was washed out, ending in a no result.^[19] The day before the third ODI of the series, Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor announced that he would retire from international cricket following the match.^[20] Ireland went on to win the match by seven wickets,^[21] with the series drawn 1–1.^[22]

Squads

Ireland		Zimbabwe
ODIs[23]	T20Is[24]	ODIs and T20Is[25]
Andrew Balbirnie (c) Mark Adair Curtis Campher George Dockrell Shane Getkate Graham Kennedy Josh Little Andy McBrine Barry McCarthy William Porterfield Neil Rock Simi Singh Paul Stirling Harry Tector Lorcan Tucker Craig Young	Andrew Balbirnie (c) Mark Adair Curtis Campher George Dockrell Shane Getkate Josh Little Barry McCarthy William McClintock Kevin O'Brien Neil Rock Simi Singh Paul Stirling Harry Tector Lorcan Tucker Ben White Craig Young	Craig Ervine (c) Ryan Burl Regis Chakabva Tendai Chatara Luke Jongwe Tinashe Kamunhukamwe Wesley Madhevere Tadiwanashe Marumani Wellington Masakadza Tarisai Musakanda Blessing Muzarabani Dion Myers Richard Ngarava Sikandar Raza Milton Shumba Brendan Taylor Donald Tiripano Sean Williams

Zimbabwe did not name individual squads for the ODI and T20I matches, opting instead to name a combined squad of 18 players for the tour.^[26] Curtis Campher was ruled out of Ireland's ODI squad after suffering an injury in the first T20I match.^[27] Shane Getkate was named as Campher's replacement for Ireland's ODI matches.^[28]

Tour match

6 September 2021 10:30 Scorecard

Zimbabwe  171/9 (40 overs)	v	Ireland Wolves 166/7 (40 overs)
Sean Williams 39 (48) Matt Ford 2/28 (8 overs)		Murray Commins 56 (88) Sikandar Raza 3/36 (8 overs)

Zimbabwe won by 5 runs Circular Road, Belmont Umpires: Roland Black (Ire) and Paul Reynolds (Ire) Player of the match: Sikandar Raza (Zim)

• Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat.
• The match was reduced to 40 overs per side due to a wet outfield.

T20I series

1st T20I

27 August 2021 12:00 Scorecard

Zimbabwe  117/7 (20 overs)	v	Ireland 114/9 (20 overs)
Regis Chakabva 47 (28) Craig Young 2/15 (4 overs)		Simi Singh 28* (22) Ryan Burl 3/22 (4 overs)

Zimbabwe won by 3 runs Castle Avenue, Dublin Umpires: Roland Black (Ire) and Paul Reynolds (Ire) Player of the match: Regis Chakabva (Zim)

• Ireland won the toss and elected to field.
• Curtis Campher and Neil Rock (Ire) both made their T20I debuts.
• Craig Ervine captained Zimbabwe for the first time in T20Is.^[29]
• Paul Stirling played in his 300th match for Ireland.^[30]

2nd T20I

29 August 2021 12:00 Scorecard

Zimbabwe  152/5 (20 overs)	v	Ireland 153/3 (18.3 overs)
Milton Shumba 46* (27) Shane Getkate 3/20 (4 overs)		Kevin O'Brien 60 (41) Ryan Burl 2/24 (4 overs)

Ireland won by 7 wickets Castle Avenue, Dublin Umpires: Mark Hawthorne (Ire) and Alan Neill (Ire) Player of the match: Kevin O'Brien (Ire)

• Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat.

3rd T20I

1 September 2021 15:00 Scorecard

Ireland  178/2 (20 overs)	v	Zimbabwe 138 (18.2 overs)
Paul Stirling 115* (75) Ryan Burl 1/30 (4 overs)		Craig Ervine 33 (18) Mark Adair 3/11 (3 overs)

Ireland won by 40 runs Bready Cricket Club Ground, Magheramason Umpires: Roland Black (Ire) and Alan Neill (Ire) Player of the match: Paul Stirling (Ire)

• Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to field.
• William McClintock (Ire) made his T20I debut.
• Paul Stirling (Ire) scored his first century in T20Is.^[31]

4th T20I

2 September 2021 15:00 Scorecard

Ireland  174/4 (20 overs)	v	Zimbabwe 110/9 (20 overs)
Kevin O'Brien 47 (39) Wellington Masakadza 2/22 (4 overs)		Craig Ervine 28 (30) Mark Adair 4/23 (4 overs)

Ireland won by 64 runs Bready Cricket Club Ground, Magheramason Umpires: Mark Hawthorne (Ire) and Paul Reynolds (Ire) Player of the match: Mark Adair (Ire)

• Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to field.

5th T20I

4 September 2021 15:00 Scorecard

Zimbabwe  124/4 (20 overs)	v	Ireland 119 (20 overs)
Craig Ervine 67* (57) Mark Adair 3/23 (4 overs)		Neil Rock 22 (21) Luke Jongwe 3/29 (4 overs)

Zimbabwe won by 5 runs Bready Cricket Club Ground, Magheramason Umpires: Roland Black (Ire) and Alan Neill (Ire) Player of the match: Craig Ervine (Zim)

• Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat.

ODI series

1st ODI

8 September 2021 10:30 Scorecard

Zimbabwe  266/7 (50 overs)	v	Ireland 228 (48.4 overs)
Craig Ervine 64 (96) Simi Singh 1/22 (10 overs)		William Porterfield 75 (110) Blessing Muzarabani 4/29 (9.4 overs)

Zimbabwe won by 38 runs Stormont, Belfast Umpires: Mark Hawthorne (Ire) and Paul Reynolds (Ire) Player of the match: Sikandar Raza (Zim)

• Ireland won the toss and elected to field.
• World Cup Super League points: Zimbabwe 10, Ireland 0.

2nd ODI

10 September 2021 10:30 Scorecard

Ireland  282/8 (50 overs)	v	Zimbabwe
William Porterfield 67 (100) Richard Ngarava 3/52 (9 overs)

No result Stormont, Belfast Umpires: Roland Black (Ire) and Mark Hawthorne (Ire)

• Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to field.
• Rain prevented any further play.
• Milton Shumba (Zim) made his ODI debut.
• World Cup Super League points: Ireland 5, Zimbabwe 5.

3rd ODI

13 September 2021 10:30 Scorecard

Zimbabwe  131 (34 overs)	v	Ireland 118/3 (22.2 overs)
Craig Ervine 57 (65) Andy McBrine 3/26 (8 overs)		Paul Stirling 43 (40) Wellington Masakadza 1/9 (2 overs)

Ireland won by 7 wickets (DLS method) Stormont, Belfast Umpires: Alan Neill (Ire) and Paul Reynolds (Ire) Player of the match: Andy McBrine (Ire)

• Ireland won the toss and elected to field.
• Ireland were set a revised target of 118 runs from 32 overs due to rain.
• World Cup Super League points: Ireland 10, Zimbabwe 0.
  Brendan Taylor played his last international match. World Cup Super League points: Ireland 10, Zimbabwe 0.