ZIM VS IRE - 3rd ODI, Ireland tour of Zimbabwe, 2023

The Trophy is presented to Paul Stirling who accepts and the rest of the team congregate to pose for the photos. All smiles and with that we bring our coverage of this game and the series to an end as well. Hope you have enjoyed it. Till next time stay safe and take care. Be well. See you soon. Bye bye.

Paul Stirling | Ireland captain: We saved our best performance for the last. Happy for the lads, we worked hard during the winter and the rewards are there. I never felt we were too far away in the ODIs, it was about the little things, we got more challenges in the new year, but this is a big tick. It's about the rest of the team, they played outstandingly well, I practiced my coin toss during the winter but thoroughly deserved for the guys. We have got a number of series coming up, the T20 World Cup is what springs to mind first up. The control with both bat and ball - sometimes it has not been there in the past, that's what impressed me the most this series.

Curtis Campher | Player of the Series: Really happy to contribute to the team to be honest. Team decision to make me bat at 3 and the coach told me that this was the way they will go for the near future. I'm not thinking about too much, just see the ball and hit the ball, concrete defence and put pressure on the bowlers when they bowl a bad ball.

Andy Balbirnie | Player of the Match: As a top-order batter you are always looking for consistency, but also one knock away from finding form. Nice to help the boys over the line. Very difficult for the batters, the more time you spend it was easier. I knew if I set myself up for the back end, I would do well. Always enjoy coming to Harare and playing here, it tests you but you get the rewards. Probably the best surface out of the three and credit to the bowlers for taking key wickets. As Sikandar said, kept them down to 20-30 less. You can always pinpoint small little moments, but if you bide your time you get that luck. Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't.

Sikandar Raza | Zimbabwe captain: I thought we were 20-30 short, the game was reduced but unfortunately we keep doing the same things. We are leaving too much for the tail to do. It's our job as batters to get the runs. I thought myself and Joy had a very good partnership. My dismissal came at the wrong time. I will raise my hand and accept that, we did not have any substantial partnership and the floodgates started after that. Credit to Ireland for showing us how to play on tricky wickets like that, sometimes we need to graft. It's hard to lose 8-9 guys to injury, some of them seniors as well. But opportunities present themselves, I just hope the guys can grab those. As a collective we were not good enough. I pray for all of them to be fit, I'm not a doctor but we need the best squad to go to Sri Lanka.

17:06 Local Time, 15:06 GMT, 20:36 IST: Historic series win for Ireland who have won here in Zimbabwe for the first time in this format. As soon as Tucker saw the winning shot run away, he fist-pumped as did Balbirnie. Chasing 201, Ireland lost Stirling early but Balbirnie and Campher steadied the innings and then both Tector and Tucker came out with intent to put pressure on the bowling. Balbirnie was steady and after reaching his fifty opened out to play more strokes. Zimbabwe tried hard but they did not have enough to defend on a pitch that was up and down. The fielding of Zimbabwe did not help either as they dropped Tector and Tucker. Balbirnie who has been not his usual consistent self in recent times, stuck it out and finished unbeaten to take his side home. Zimbabwe without Ervine, Williams and Burl for this game certainly missed that trio and the inexperience in the batting showed. Their proud home record has taken a blow with this loss. Stay tuned for the presentation...

Tanaka Chivanga to Tucker, FOUR, that's it. Ireland seal the series 2-0. Fullish outside off, Tucker gets forward and drives wide of cover and it races away. Tucker and Balbirnie hug in celebration

Tanaka Chivanga to Tucker, FOUR, these short balls are not working, dug in on off, Tucker hammers the pull wide of mid-wicket and there's no-one at deep mid-wicket. Scores are level

Tanaka Chivanga to Tucker, wide, another slower ball but down leg, Tucker swipes and misses

Tanaka Chivanga to Balbirnie, 1 run, slower ball full on the stumps, driven straight down the ground

Tanaka Chivanga to Balbirnie, no run, slower ball off-cutter on the stumps, flicked to mid-wicket

Tanaka Chivanga to Tucker, 1 run, short of length and dug in around off, Tucker pulls hard and straight to deep square leg

Tanaka Chivanga to Tucker, wide, short of length down leg, Tucker pulls and misses, given as a wide

Tanaka Chivanga [6.0-0-39-0] is back into the attack

Muzarabani to Balbirnie, 2 runs, another pull and another miscue, short of length outside off, Balbirnie is hurried on the pull but gets it over mid-wicket and mid-on. Two more

Muzarabani to Tucker, 1 run, slower ball full on the pads, flicked to deep square leg

Muzarabani to Tucker, no run, another slower ball off-cutter on a back of a length on off, whipped to mid-wicket

Muzarabani to Tucker, no run, slower ball off-cutter on a length outside off, defended to backward point

Muzarabani to Tucker, SIX, what a blow. Tucker ensuring this is done quickly. A harmless back of a length delivery outside off, Tucker pulls hard and over deep mid-wicket, hit that so well

Muzarabani to Balbirnie, 1 run, short of length and at Balbirnie who is hurried on the pull, splices it but to the vacant mid-wicket region outside off the 30-yard ring