![Gaby Lewis led from the front with an attacking knock. [Image: Cricket Ireland]](https://www.womenscricinsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/gaby-lewis-scores-a-half-century.jpg "Gaby Lewis led from the front with an attacking knock. [Image: Cricket Ireland]")
Ireland carried on the form from their warm-up match versus Zimbabwe and notched a seamless 10-wicket win at the Harare Sports Club. Ireland won the toss, decided to bowl first in the 1st ODI, and restricted Zimbabwe to 170 in a rain-curtailed encounter. Further chasing down the total, with the DLS method coming into play, Ireland was 110/0 winning by 10 wickets and 47 balls to spare.
Batting first, Zimbabwe faced their fair share of struggles early on losing skipper and opening batter, Mary-Anne Musonda for a six-ball knock of two runs as Ava Canning got the first breakthrough for Ireland. Then Chiedza Dhururu and Chipo Mugeri-Tripano batted through the tricky phase and the powerplay scoring crucial runs. Their stay at the crease was brought to a premature end as Arlene Kelly got the wicket-keeper Dhururu for 16 and the very next over saw the middle order bat Mugeri-Tripano fall for 22.
Even as Ashley Ndiraya anchored the side and she had partners from the other end in the likes of Kellies Ndlovu and Nyasha Celeb Gwanzura who were dimsissed which further made the pursuit of a big total difficult. Loreen Tshuma played an excellent second fiddle and supported the cause but with Ndiraya’s dismissal for 47, Zimbabwe was six wickets down.
A third for Cara!
Zimbabwe: 130-7 (33 overs)
Ireland: Yet to batFOLLOW: https://t.co/jplhfyNyfi
WATCH: Zimbabwe Cricket Women Facebook page #BackingGreen ☘️📷 #FuelledByCerta pic.twitter.com/jtRGUzIVDv— Ireland Women’s Cricket (@IrishWomensCric) January 18, 2024
With Loreen Tshuma dismissed soon after for 14, the onus fell on Precious Marange- the ICC Player of the Month for December nominee who stood up to the occasion and delivered. Scoring a cameo of 29, her knock provided the much-needed resistance to the batting and with knocks of 12 from Nomvelo Sibanda; Zimbabwe ended with 170 all out in 42.5 overs.
Ireland would relish bowling performances like this with Freya Sargent and Cara Murray leading the pack with three wickets each and support from the other end coming from skipper Laura Delany and Arlene Kelly.
What a performance today from Freya Sargent.
She took career-best ODI figures of 3-29 in just her fifth match 👏👏👏#BackingGreen ☘️🏏 #FuelledByCerta pic.twitter.com/gTCAWd1bWc
— Ireland Women’s Cricket (@IrishWomensCric) January 18, 2024
Ireland had the duo of Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis kickstart the proceedings in the finest possible ways. They scored with intent and a lot of grit as Lewis struck the ball powerfully in her knock of 65 coming off just 41 balls, she was striking at 158.54 laced with 11 boundaries and 1 maximum.
A fantastic win 👏👏
A 110-run opening partnership between Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter has secured a 10-wicket DLS victory.
Well done all 🙌
Scorecard: https://t.co/jplhfyNyfi#BackingGreen ☘️🏏 #FuelledByCerta pic.twitter.com/BSoek3Bc8P
— Ireland Women’s Cricket (@IrishWomensCric) January 18, 2024
The young Hunter on the other hand supported her opening batter with her calm and calculated 36 and with rain playing spoilsport, the DLS method reduced the game to a 21 over run-chase and a target of 110 that Ireland chased down in 13.1 overs without any loss of a wicket.
Brief Scores: Zimbabwe vs Ireland 1st ODI
Zimbabwe- 170 all out in 42.5 overs (Ashley Ndiraya 47, Precious Marange 29; Freya Sargent 3/29, Cara Murray 3/32) lost to Ireland– 110/0 in 13.1 overs (Gaby Lewis 65*, Amy Hunter 36*) by 10 wickets through DLS Method.
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