Matthew Humphreys (6-57) provided the star turn as Ireland bagged a comfortable 63-run win in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. The fifth day began with the visitors needing just three wickets to seal the game and the left-arm spinner accounted for two of those, including the dismissal of Wessley Madhevere (84) who waged a lone war for the hosts .
Newman Nyamhuri was the first domino to topple on the final day, as he missed a sweep to be caught plumb in front against Humphreys. Madhevere held fort but he was running out of company, and the pressure thus grew manifold. His doom though wasn’t to an extraordinary ball, rather it was the misjudgement of length that had him losing his poles. Andy McBrine, the experienced campaigner, then applied the finishing touches by castling Richard Ngarava to hand the Irish a famous win.
Not many envisaged a triumph for the visitors after they were reduced to 31/5 on the morning session of the first day. Ireland’s decision to bat first proved counterproductive with Blessing Muzarabani (7-58) running amok, using the new ball and suitable conditions to great effect. However, as the pitch flattened, Ireland’s lower middle order made hay, led by McBrine (90) who forged two crucial stands to turn things around. The southpaw joined forces with Lorcan Tucker (33) for a 51-run stand before adding 127 with Mark Adair (78).
A historic spell from Irishman Matthew Humphreys! 👏
His 6/57, the best ever bowling figures for an Irishman in Tests, led Ireland to a famous victory over Zimbabwe! 💪#ZIMvIREonFanCode pic.twitter.com/IvXHiLSKQR
— FanCode (@FanCode) February 10, 2025
The second partnership is what really pegged Zimbabwe back, not just due to the bulk of runs but also the rate at which the partnership flourished. As is fast becoming the norm in Test cricket nowadays, both McBrine and Adair counterpunched to bail their side out of crisis. Inevitably, it was Muzarabani who engineered the breakthrough and also added two more wickets to his kitty to end with an impressive seven-fer. McBrine shepherded the tail to nudge the score past 250 which was a more than a handy total on this pitch. The conditions were relatively better to bat on for Zimbabwe but the hosts failed to take advantage of it.
Nick Welch (90) was the lone ranger but none of the other specialist batters stayed long enough at the crease. After his heroics with the bat, McBrine (3-59) shone with the ball too, combining with Barry McCarthy (4-75) to chip away at the wickets. Much like McBrine, Muzarabani also left an all-round impact as he hung in there to score 47 in a last-wicket stand of 67 with Trevor Gwandu (18).
Zimbabwe’s tiny lead basically rendered the Test a second-innings shootout. The pitch had also eased out considerably in comparison to the first couple of days. Ireland, however, couldn’t fully leverage the conditions as their batters squandered starts, a trend that was visible earlier in Zimbabwe’s first innings. Skipper Andy Balbirnie (66) and Lorcan Tucker (58) were the chief contributors but both could have kicked on to bat Zimbabwe out of the contest. Ngarava (4-55) was the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe although it were their spinners who triggered the slide.
At one stage, Ireland were in cruise control at 153/2 but eventually folded for 298, leaving runs out on the park. However, the target of 292 was going to make for a hot pursuit batting last, as the pitch had by now started to show signs of wear and tear. There were rain interruptions too on the fourth day, which kept the prospect of a draw alive. Ireland, however, stuck to their guns, led by Humphreys and captured seven before stumps on day four, leaving the tourists in need of only a modicum of play to complete the formalities. As it turned out, the day started with bright sunshine and the Irish bowlers were up to the task.
Brief scores: Ireland 260 and 298 (Andy Balbirnie 66, Lorcan Tucker 58; Richard Ngarava 4-55) beat Zimbabwe 267 and 228 (Wessly Madhevere 84, Brian Bennett 45; Matthew Humphreys 6-57) by 63 runs.
