Zimbabwe win toss, opt to field against Ireland in Hobart
ByReuters
Published 07/03/2015 at 03:47 GMT
Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor won the toss and opted to field first in their crucial World Cup Pool B match against Ireland at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Saturday.
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
The Africans have won just one of their four games and are sixth in Pool B, but victory against Ireland, who have won two matches out of three, will put them back in the hunt for a quarter-final place.
Wicketkeeper Taylor, leading the side in place of injured captain Elton Chigumbura, demanded a clinical performance from his team.
"It might be a little tacky underneath (the pitch) and overhead conditions, maybe we can use that to our advantage," Taylor said at the toss under overcast conditions in Hobart, hosting its first match in the tournament.
"Too many starts and finding ways to get out. That's been our main discussion in the last four-five days. Hopefully one of the top four can bat big and get us over the line.
"I think 80 percent of the games during those matches we have been excellent and then pretty poor in the rest. That's cost us heavily."
Regis Chakabva came into the Zimbabwe side replacing all-rounder Chigumbura, who suffered a quadriceps tear while fielding in their last match against Pakistan.
Ireland defeated West Indies and United Arab Emirates in their first two matches but suffered a thumping 201-run loss against South Africa in the last fixture.
The Irish side also made just one change for their fourth match replacing medium pacer Max Sorensen with Alex Cusack.
"Looking at conditions we would have bowled but it is a very good pitch," Ireland captain William Porterfield said.
"Every game is a must-win game. There are two points up for grabs and if we get that win today, makes it three from four and that's what we will be after."
Teams:
Zimbabwe - Chamu Chibhabha, Sikandar Raza, Solomon Mire, Hamilton Masakadza, Taylor (captain), Sean Williams, Craig Ervine, Chakabva, Tawanda Mupariwa, Tinashe Panyangara, Tendai Chatara
Ireland - Porterfield (captain), Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall O'Brien, Andrew Balbirnie, Gary Wilson, Kevin O'Brien, John Mooney, Cusack, George Dockrell, Andy McBrine
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement