Cricket World Cup 2015: Ireland edge past Zimbabwe in Hobart thriller

Ireland have beaten Zimbabwe by five runs in what has been a thrilling contest at Hobart.

Put into bat, Ireland scored a magnificent 331 runs while losing eight wickets in the process. Ed Joyce was the pick of the lot, scoring 112 runs in more than a run-a-ball to put Zimbabwe on the backfoot.

He was ably supported by Andy Balbirnie, who scored 97 runs but succumbed to a run out before reaching what would have been a memorable century.

Kevin O'Brien and Gary Wilson scored 24 and 25 runs respectively at the end of the innings to take Ireland past the 300-run mark and secure their third win of the tournament and come within sniffing distance of securing a place in the quarter finals.

As for Zimbabwe, their bowlers failed to hold a good line and length and allowed Ireland to run away with the game, in spite of the pitch expected to assist bowlers in the first innings.

Brendan Taylor and Sean Williams put in a similar fight for Zimbabwe, with both scoring 116 and 96 runs respectively. However, the lower order failed to get a move on and were dismissed with three balls remaining.

Alex Cusack was by far the pick of the bowlers among the two teams, taking three wickets for an economy of less than four.