From highest team total to head-to-head: Know Zimbabwe vs Ireland ODI records

The Zimbabwe cricket team and Ireland cricket team have been involved in many closely-fought matches in recent years. 

They clashed against each other for the first time in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup in 2007, which ended in a tie after a nerve-wracking final-ball encounter. While chasing 222 to win, Zimbabwe’s late collapse stopped them from getting over the line.

Till date, Zimbabwe and Ireland have only played each other in the limited-overs format.

After 16 ODIs between the two teams, there is nothing to separate them in terms of head-to-head record. While two of these 16 matches were in the ODI World Cup, the others have been in bilateral series’.

Zimbabwe vs Ireland head-to-head in ODIs

Zimbabwe vs Ireland ODI records

Highest team total

Ireland’s 331/8 in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup in 2015 at Hobart is the highest team total in this fixture. Ed Joyce’s 103-ball 112 and a quickfire 97 from Andy Balbirnie helped the Irish side set a match-winning total.

Zimbabwe came close in the run chase, scoring 326, courtesy of Brendan Taylor’s swashbuckling 121.

Lowest team total

Ireland registered the lowest team total in this fixture after being bowled out for 104. Sikandar Raza produced an all-round match-winning performance for Zimbabwe in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in March 2018.

Zimbabwe have registered a total of under 200 three times in this fixture while Ireland have been restricted to a sub-200 score twice.

Highest individual score

Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor smashed 121 runs off 91 balls against Ireland in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup in 2015 to register the highest individual score in matches between the two nations. The whirlwind knock included 11 fours and four sixes which took the Chevrons tantalizingly close to Ireland’s score of 331.

Irish batter Jeremy Bray previously held the record after scoring an unbeaten 115 in the first match between the two sides.

Ed Joyce, Craig Ervine (twice) and Andy Balbirnie are the other cricketers to have scored a century in this fixture. 

Best bowling figures

Tim Murtagh of Ireland and Ed Rainsford of Zimbabwe are the only two players to have taken a five-wicket haul in One-Day Internationals between the two teams.

Murtagh scalped 5/21 in July 2019 at Belfast while Rainsford’s 5/36 at Harare in September 2010 ranks him second. Rainsford had also taken a four-for in the preceding match of that series. Murtagh also boasts of a four-wicket haul in this fixture. 

Highest partnership

The highest partnership in a Zimbabwe vs Ireland ODI was also recorded in the 2015 ODI World Cup match. Brendan Taylor and Sean Williams notched up 149 runs for the fifth wicket to kept Zimbabwe alive in the game.

Earlier in the match, Ed Joyce and Andy Balbirnie registered a 138-run stand for the third wicket, which shortly held the record.

There have been four other 100-run plus partnerships in this fixture - three for Ireland and one for Zimbabwe.

Most runs

Ireland opener Paul Stirling has scored the most runs in this fixture, amassing 528 runs in 14 ODIs. While he is yet to cross the three-figure mark, Stirling has smashed five fifties and averages 37.71.

Following closely are Zimbabwean pair Craig Ervine and Sean Williams with 525 and 522 runs, respectively. The above players are the only three to have notched more than 500 runs in ODIs between the two sides.

Most wickets

Tim Murtagh has picked up 18 wickets in seven matches, making him the highest wicket-taker in Zimbabwe vs Ireland ODIs. The Irish pacer has maintained a healthy economy rate of 3.96 while scalping wickets at an average of 14.94.

Another Irishman, Kevin O’Brien is the second-best with 13 wickets in 13 matches. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams has also picked 13, but in 14 matches.

Ireland's Andy Balbirnie and George Dockrell, along with Zimbabwe’s Ed Rainsford, are the other bowlers with 10+ wickets in ODIs between the two teams.

Photo credit: Alamy