Andy McBrine and Lorcan Tucker hit fifties to thwart Zimbabwe in Belfast

Ireland 250 (Moor 79, Chivanga 3-39, Muzarabani 3-53) and 158 for 6 (Tucker 56, McBrine 55*, Ngarava 4-53, Muzarabani 2-52) beat Zimbabwe 210 (Masvaure 74, McBrine 3-37, McCarthy 3-42) and 197 (Myers 57, McBrine 4-38) by four wickets

It didn’t quite reach the climax the third evening had promised, but the one-off Ireland vs Zimbabwe Test had most results possible for the best part of the morning session on the fourth day till Ireland killed off the contest. Ireland had been reduced to 21 for 5 after a fiery spell from Richard Ngarava on the third evening, which had left the small band of Zimbabwe supporters in Belfast delirious. But Lorcan Tucker‘s second Test fifty and Andy McBrine‘s third ensured Ireland silenced them quickly – and took away the match – with a 96-run stand on the fourth morning.

That paved the way for Ireland’s first home Test win, and also gave them back-to-back victories in the format, after they had beaten Afghanistan for their Test first win this March.

Play began on day four with the sun out, and conditions perfectly suited for batting. It was brighter than on previous days, the zip which the pitch had offered Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani the previous evening was missing, and Tucker and McBrine capitalised.

Zimbabwe maintained an attacking field to both batters for the best part of the first hour, filling up the slip cordon with three catchers. But that left vacant spaces in the outfield, and Ireland’s left-right combination didn’t hesitate to attack when the line was wide or the length too full. The first instance of that came as early as in the fourth ball of the morning, when Tucker reached out to a full ball slightly wide outside off, and drove for four to deep point.

The first 13 overs of the day produced 61 runs, with a boundary virtually every over. McBrine was particularly impressive on the pull, with which he got two boundaries – the first off Ngarava to beat deep-backward square-leg to the right, and the second off Muzarabani in front of square, as Ireland chipped away at the target.

Zimbabwe bowled Ngarava and Muzarabani for the first eight overs, in the hope that they would repeat their magic from the third evening. But, by then, Tucker had brought up the fifty stand by clipping Ngarava off his pads. It was a chanceless stand between the Ireland batters on Sunday, unlike what we had seen on the previous evening, when the extra bounce and movement had left their top-order batters searching for answers.

There was a spot of the incredulous in the 18th over of the innings. McBrine and Tucker ran five runs despite there not being an overthrow. McBrine had punched Ngarava to beat Tendai Chatara to his right at extra cover off the second ball of the over. Chatara chased it all the way to the longer side of the ground, and pushed the ball back just in time. But he had overrun, crossed the advertising boards, and his momentum had taken him quite a way beyond. By the time he returned to throw the ball back, the batters had enough time to run five without really stretching themselves.

Three balls later, Ngarava finally replicated the threat of the third evening. The ball kicked up off a length at Tucker and looped up off his gloves, but fell just short of the gully fielder.

Sean Williams was then brought into the attack in the 20th over, but his left-arm spin hardly made any difference, as Tucker and McBrine ticked along steadily.

Tucker brought up his half-century when he hit Muzarabani through the covers for three to start the 24th over, and that shot brought Ireland’s requirement to below 50. Muzarabani did clean Tucker up for 56 two overs later, even as McBrine was beaten on an attempted drive, a flash, and one that kept low to hit his front pad outside leg.

Zimbabwe would have hoped Tucker’s wicket would give them scope for a late comeback, but there was no such luck for them. McBrine too got to his half-century – he finished unbeaten on 55 – and in the company of Mark Adair, who scored 24 not out with four boundaries, completed the job.

It was the perfect end to what was a fantastic Test for McBrine. He picked up 3 for 37 and 4 for 38 in the two Zimbabwe innings, and had contributed 28 in Ireland’s first innings before the unbeaten half-century in the second, all of which made him the deserving Player of the Match.