Cricket Free Tips | Zimbabwe vs Ireland, 2023: 1st T20I

Zimbabwe vs Ireland Match Details

Match: Zimbabwe vs Ireland, 1st T20I | Ireland tour of Zimbabwe 

Date: Thursday, 12 Jan 2023

Time: 16:00 (GMT+5) / 16:30 (GMT+5.5) / 17:00 (GMT+6)

Format: T20I

Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare  

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Zimbabwe vs Ireland Preview

• Sikandar Raza, a renowned all-rounder for Zimbabwe, has been permitted to skip the series and participate in the ILT20.
• Ten Twenty20 Internationals between Ireland and Zimbabwe have been played, with Ireland winning five and Zimbabwe winning four.
• The Zimbabwean team for this T20I series includes former England batsman Gary Balance.

 

The inaugural IT20 match between Zimbabwe and Ireland will take place on Thursday afternoon at the Harare Sports Club. The 2022 T20 World Cup saw both teams make it to the Super 12 round, but neither team advanced to the semi-finals. Ireland placed sixth in Group 1 while Zimbabwe placed last in Group 2. At 13:00 local time, the game begins in Harare.

Zimbabwe had a wild T20 World Cup, but they proved they can once again compete with the major powers. Although they are not at full strength for this game, they should still be able to win this opening.

Ireland has had some exceptional one-off results over the past ten years and has generally fared well against teams of Zimbabwe’s calibre. However, they might have trouble in this game without a few key players.

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Zimbabwe vs Ireland Weather Report, Toss Prediction, and Pitch Report

In the second half of the game, the temperature will hit 26 degrees, and the first 20 minutes of this IT20 are expected to have plenty of sunshine.

In this field, it is not advisable to field first. At the Harare Sports Club, teams batting first have prevailed in 69% of IT20 matches.

The wicket in Harare is reliable, if not very quick. We anticipate a gradual turn from the pitch and a maximum par score of 165.

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Zimbabwe Team News & Probable Playing XIs

The return of former England star Gary Ballance to Zimbabwe has overshadowed much of the pre-series build-up. He will strengthen the batting lineup, which has been compromised by Sikandar Raza’s inability to play because he is a member of the BPL’s Rangpur Riders. The injured Blessing Muzarabani is also out of commission.

Recent form – L L L W N  

Zimbabwe’s Probable XI

Craig Ervine (c), Clive Madande (wk), Wesley Madhevere, Gary Ballance, Sean Williams, Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Wellington Masakadza, Luke Jongwe, Richard Ngarava, and Victor Nyauchi.  

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Ireland News & Probable Playing XIs

Paul Stirling and Lorcan Tucker, members of the side who competed in the T20 World Cup, will both be absent because they will be competing in the ILT20, while Josh Little will be competing in the SA20. At the top of the order, opener Stephen Doheny might make his international debut. 

Recent form – L L W L W

Ireland’s Probable XI

Andy Balbirnie (c), Neil Rock(wk), Stephen Doheny, Harry Tector, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Curtis Campher, Mark Adair, Fionn Hand, Barry McCarthy, and Ben White.

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Zimbabwe vs Ireland Head-to-Head Stats (Last 5 matches)

Team	Won	Lost
Zimbabwe	2	3
Ireland	3	2

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Zimbabwe vs Ireland – 1st T20I, Dream 11

Wicket-keeper

• Taiwanese Marumani

Batters

• Garry Ballance (VC)
• Ryan Burl
• Andrew Balbirnie (c)
• Harry Tector 

All-Rounders

• Sean Williams
• Gareth Delany
• Curtis Campher

Bowlers

• Luke Jongwe
• Mark Adair
• Richard Ngarava

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Zimbabwe vs Ireland Prediction

Winning the toss

• Zimbabwe

Top batsman

• Zimbabwe – Ryan Burl     
• Ireland – Andy Balbirnie

Top bowler

• Zimbabwe – Richard Ngarava      
• Ireland – Mark Adair 

Most sixes

• Zimbabwe – Ryan Burl   
• Ireland – Andy Balbirnie

Player of the Match

• Zimbabwe – Ryan Burl

Team Scores Batting First

• Zimbabwe – 165+
• Ireland – 155+

Zimbabwe is the favourite to win this match.

 

We anticipate this to be a tight series and a competitive first game. Last year’s competition saw both sides defeat the eventual World Cup champions, and they are both capable of outstanding performances on certain days. We believe Zimbabwe has a stronger batting lineup and are backing them to defeat Ireland in this first IT20 match.