Ireland 🇮🇪 VS Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 Part 1 | Dublin | T20 World Cup-1 2024

On a thrilling evening between Ireland and Zimbabwe, the crowd was treated to a roller-coaster contest — one where momentum seemed to belong to everyone at once.

Zimbabwe’s innings was anchored brilliantly by Sean Williams, who played with authority and timing on his way to a superb 92. He rotated the strike smartly while punishing anything loose, keeping the score moving when it mattered most. Support arrived at the right time from Wesley Madhevere, and then fireworks erupted at the death — Clive Madande smashed a breathtaking 58 off just 19 balls, tearing into the Irish attack and flipping the game on its head. Zimbabwe walked off with a total that looked — at least for a while — match-winning.

But Ireland had plans of their own.

Enter Gareth Delany — calm, composed, and clinical. His unbeaten 89 not out was a masterclass in pacing a chase, mixing placement with power, and refusing to panic even when the asking rate climbed. However, Zimbabwe wouldn’t let Ireland cruise. Wellington Masakadza produced a spell to remember, picking up four crucial wickets, each one threatening to tilt the match back Zimbabwe’s way.

And then came the moment that changed everything.

Paul Stirling strode in and detonated the contest with a blitzing 51 off just 12 balls. It was brute force wrapped in precision — towering sixes, screaming boundaries, and stunned Zimbabwean fielders watching the ball disappear again and again. In just a handful of deliveries, Stirling erased the pressure, turned the chase into a stroll, and left the bowlers searching for answers.

Even with Zimbabwe’s heroics earlier — Williams’ class, Madande’s explosive cameo, and Masakadza’s golden arm — the night ultimately belonged to Ireland, powered home by Delany’s composure and Stirling’s unforgettable assault.

What a match: big scores, crucial spells, and a finish that will be replayed for a long time.