ZIM vs IRE Match Prediction | 1st T20

Betting Tips

We are through the tests and ODI leg of the Ireland tour of Zimbabwe. The Zimbabweans held their nerve to win the ODI series with a margin of 2-1. Now, we enter the last phase of the tour with the first T20I game to be played at the Harare Sports Club. This post will look at the match prediction, pitch report, and betting tips for this contest.

Zimbabwe vs Ireland Head-to-Head Record

The Ireland and Zimbabwe teams have played against each other on 15 occasions before this in the T20I format. Ireland holds an 8-7 edge in this head-to-head. Ireland has won its last couple of games against Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe vs Ireland Live Streaming and Broadcast

The Zimbabwe-Ireland T20I series will not be available on TV in India, but cricket enthusiasts can enjoy the contest on the FanCode app and website.

ZIM vs IRE Team Previews

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is going into this contest after a series win against the same opposition in the ODI format earlier. However, they have also lost their last couple of T20I games against Afghanistan in their previous two attempts. Their last win in this format came against Afghanistan in December last year.

Zimbabwe will be looking at good contributions from Dion Myers, Briann Bennett, and skipper Sikandar Raza in the batting department in this contest. Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu, and Sikandar Raza will again lead the Zim bowling unit.

Sikandar Raza will lead the side in this game and spearhead Zimbabwe's batting efforts. He has scored 74 runs for his national teams in his last ten contests with an average of 34.25 and a strike rate of 161.17. Brian Bennett has also scored 271 runs from his last ten games with an average of 27.1 and a strike rate of 129.66.

Richard Ngarava has taken 14 wickets in his last ten games, with a strike rate of 15.71. He will again be in charge of Zim's bowling attack. Sikandar Raza is also featured in the bowling charts, taking 13 wickets from his previous nine games with a strike rate of 14.3.

Zimbabwe Expected Playing 11

Ireland

Ireland appeared all set to win the last game of the ODI series against Zimbabwe. However, the home side beat them against the run of play and clinched the series. Ireland is going into this series with a win against South Africa in their last completed contest.

Ross Adair hit a brilliant hundred in this game in 58 balls with nine sixes, and the bowlers Mark Adair and Graham Hume were right on the money in the bowling department, collecting four and three wickets, respectively. Irishmen scored 196 runs in this contest against the mighty South African bowling unit.

Lorcan Tucker will lead the Ireland batting effort in this contest. He has scored 245 runs in his last eight games with an average of 30.63 and a strike rate of 137.64. George Dockrell is another batter to watch out for in this game. He has scored 169 runs in his last ten appearances for Ireland, with an average of 28.17 and a strike rate of 132.03.

Mark Adair will once again be the mainstay of the Irish bowling attack. He has picked up 19 wickets from his last ten games with a strike rate of 12.47. Barry McCarthy has also picked up five wickets from his last six games with a strike rate of 26.8.

Ireland Expected Playing 11

ZIM vs IRE Toss Prediction

Over the years, the Harare Sports Club venue has seen 49 T20I games played. The teams batting first have won 28 games, while the sides chasing a set score have won 21. So, if this is an indicator, you can expect the skipper that wins the coin flip to bat first rather than facing spinners later on a worn-out track.

Pitch and Conditions

The Harare venue is famous for its batting-friendly conditions. The surface offers good bounce and carry for the pacers, but this also means that the batters will enjoy the ball coming onto the bat. We have seen huge totals raised at this venue. Overall, batting first and raising a big score will be the order of the day for skippers. There is a possibility of getting showers during this contest, so the D/L equation might come into play at some stage.

ZIM vs IRE Betting Tips

There is no doubt that both teams are closely matched. However, we believe the shift to the T20 format will favor Ireland. They have done better in T20 cricket, have more players that they can bank on, and also have the confidence of beating major nations like South Africa under their belts.

Bet on Ireland to win.