Ireland 253-8 (50 ovs) (L Delany 88, S Kavanagh 31, S MacMahon 29, O Prendergast 28; J Nkomo 2-46, P Marange 2-48), Zimbabwe 254-6 (43.5 ovs) (M-A Musonda 103no ; C Murray 2-47). Zimbabwe won by 4 wkts.
Laura Delany's maiden One-Day International half-century came in vain as Ireland succumbed to a four-wicket defeat in Harare in the first game of their series against Zimbabwe.
After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, the Ireland captain’s innings of 88 was her side’s top score out of a total 253 for eight in 50 overs. It stands as the sixth highest individual score by an Irish woman in an ODI.
In reply, Zimbabwe skipper Mary-Anne Musonda came out on top in the duel of the captains, notching an unbeaten 103 off 114 deliveries to ease her side home with four wickets and 6.1 overs to spare.
Ireland started proceedings by sending out Leah Paul and Gaby Lewis to open the batting. Both have hit form in the international and domestic game of late, Lewis hitting a hundred against Germany with Paul doing the same for her club Merrion, but it proved a tricky start as the Zimbabwe attack limited boundary options.
Paul was the first to go after being caught off the bowling of Precious Marange for 13, while Lewis joined her eight overs later after falling to the same bowler.
It wasn't until Delany came in at number four that an Irish batter managed to score at better than a run a ball. She found the boundary nine times during her 81-ball knock, receiving support from Shauna Kavanagh (31) and Orla Prendergast (28) during the middle overs.
When Delany was dismissed in the 47th over, Ireland had reached 220 for six with just over three overs remaining. In the next 18 balls they added 33 more runs thanks mainly to a brilliant cameo from Sophie MacMahon.
In a much-needed display of late innings hitting, she struck four boundaries in a score of 29 off 13 balls, good for a strike rate of 223.
MacMahon’s day got even better after the break as she removed Chiedza Dhururu in the first over of the chase. A second wicket came shortly after as Modester Mupachikwa suffered what is widely regarded as the unluckiest dismissal in the game.
After her partner drilled one straight back off the bowling of Georgina Dempsey, the Irish bowler did well to tickle it onto the stumps at the non-striker's end with Mupachikwa well short of her ground.
Zimbabwe needed to rebuild and that they did as Ashley Ndiraya combined with Musonda for a partnership of 57.
It was a pairing that threatened to take the game away from Ireland; they needed a breakthrough. It came when spinner Cara Murray recovered from an expensive start to her spell to have Ndiraya caught by Kavanagh.
Further wickets came from Delany, Murray and another run out – this time from Prendergast – but while Musonda was still there Zimbabwe always looked somewhat comfortable.
So it proved, the skipper remaining unbeaten at the end to see her side over the line. Loreen Tshuma was the other unbeaten batter at the death as Ireland's first innings total ended up being well short.
Delany and her side will look to bounce back in second game in the four-match series which takes place in the same venue on Thursday, starting once again at 8.30am Irish time.
