Zimbabwe were bowled out for 262 with four balls to spare as Brian Bennett hit 104 before becoming one of Julius Sumerauer’s three wickets.
In reply, Jersey could only make 238 off 47.3 overseas as Zak Tribe scored 58 and Dominic Blampied added 54.
The two sides will meet again on Friday in a 45-over game as Jersey begin their preparations for the ICC Challenge League.
Having won the toss, Jersey opted to bowl, and it was a decision which looked good as opener Tanu Makoni was trapped lbw for a duck by Sumerauer off the third ball.
The islanders restricted their opponents to 60-5 before Bennett and Clive Madande put on an 88-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Madande was caught behind off Blampied’s bowling for 31 before Bennett and Newman Nyamhuri (14) shared an eighth-wicket stand of 40.
Bennett finally went midway through the 42nd over when he was caught by Harrison Carlyon having hit five sixes and 10 fours in his 103-ball knock of 104 to leave Zimbabwe on 218-9.
A fine final wicket stand of 44 was ended when Tinaishe Muchawaya was caught off Carlyon’s bowling for 27.
Sumerauer ended with figures of 3-50 while Chris Carnegie took 2-43.
In reply, Jersey lost Carlyon early and were 55-3 when Tribe and Charlie Brennan came together to put on 54 for the fourth wicket, before Brennan was caught for 24.
Tribe went on to hit two sixes and five fours before being caught on 58 to leave Jersey on 118-5 at the start of the 31st over.
Jake Dunford scored 41 off 40 balls and he and Blampied made 70 for the next wicket, but once Wesley Madhevere took his wicket Jersey’s hopes disappeared.
Blampied battled on and got six maximums before being bowled by Muchawaya – one of the bowler’s four wickets – to leave Jersey on 234-9 before Scott Simpson was bowled for one soon after as Jersey ended their innings 238 all out.
