Zimbabwe vs Ireland Prediction: Both games went down to wire

Zimbabwe and Ireland are going head to head in the 3rd Match of the T20 Series at Harare Sports Club, Zimbabwe on 10 Dec 2023. Ireland came back strongly to level up the series at 1-1. Who will win this game of cricket?

The second match of the ongoing series took place at Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe batted first and scored 165 runs from their allotted 20 overs, losing five wickets in the process. Despite their decent score, Zimbabwe's bowlers were unable to successfully defend it. Ireland managed to chase down the target in 19.4 overs, losing only six wickets. Harry Tector, who scored 48 runs from 38 balls, was awarded the player of the match. Zimbabwe's batting did not start well with early dismissals of openers Wessly Madhevere and Tadiwanashe. However, the middle order consisting of Tinshe Kamunhukamwe, captain Sean Williams, and Ryan Burl fought valiantly, making valuable contributions. Wicketkeeper Clive Madande also added 44 runs towards the end of the innings. Richard Ngarava performed exceptionally well as Zimbabwe's top bowler, taking two wickets for 33 runs in his four overs.

Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wessly Madhevere, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza (C), Ryan Burl, Clive Madande (WK), Brian Bennett, Luke Jongwe, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu

The Ireland team shocked many experts by defeating Zimbabwe in the second T20I match. Their batsmen performed exceptionally well and the series is now tied. Mark Adair was the standout bowler for Ireland, taking two wickets for 28 runs in four overs. Other bowlers, including Craig Young, Gareth Delany, and Curtis Campher, also took wickets to slow down Zimbabwe's progress. Gareth Delany was the most economical bowler for Ireland. Despite no Irish batsman scoring a big innings, the entire top and middle order contributed to the team's success. Harry Tector was the highest scorer for Ireland, making 48 runs from 38 balls with five fours. Curtis Campher also played a good innings, scoring 37 runs from 24 balls with four boundaries. George Dockrell and Mark Adair made valuable contributions with the bat towards the end of the game, securing Ireland's victory. These players will be relied upon by Ireland in the final match of the series, which will be played tomorrow.

Paul Stirling (C), Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker (WK), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Gareth Delany, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young, Joshua Little

Despite managing to successfully chase a target in the second match of the T20I series, it is generally quite difficult to pursue targets on this particular track. The pitch tends to slow down during the second inning, providing an advantage to the spinners.

As previously mentioned, the pitch at the Harare Sports Club is notably slow. Therefore, the team batting first will aim to score around 170 runs on this surface. Many teams have managed to win matches at this venue while batting first. However, in this series, both teams have had an equal share of success.

For this match, the weather is expected to be sunny and bright. The temperatures are anticipated to reach approximately 34 degrees, with low humidity. As a result, the conditions are likely to be dry. There is no real possibility of thunderstorms or rain.

Although these two teams are fairly evenly matched, we predict that Ireland will benefit from the momentum of their victory in the second match and ultimately win the series. However, it is expected to be a closely contested affair once again.