Richard Ngarava of Zimbabwe disrupted Ireland’s high-ranking batters late in the day, securing four wickets and giving Zimbabwe a strategic advantage going into day four of the unique Test in Belfast. Although Zimbabwe started the day with no losses for 12 runs, Irish spinner Andy McBrine took a consistent number of wickets, including four that led to Zimbabwe’s decrease to 197 total, giving Ireland the opportunity to win with 158 runs.
Ireland, however, lost control in the final innings. They lost their top tier battings early due to Ngarava who claimed four victims in less than eight overs. This left Ireland 125 runs away from victory, having only five wickets left, thus making day four crucial.
Entering the second innings with a deficit of 40 runs against the hosts, Joylord Gumbie and Prince Masvaure came within two runs of erasing the lead. Then Gumbie, forced into driving, hit the ball to Craig Young, and ended up caught by Andrew Balbirnie. After a gap of three balls, Masvaure was out as well, much to his surprise, supposedly due to an inner edge shot caught by Lorcan Tucker, after a minor contact with the back leg. With no chance for reviews, he had to leave the field.
Craig Ervine fell victim to Mark Adair’s leg before wicket play, but Zimbabwe started to rebound, thanks to Sean Williams and Dion Myers, and were at 96 for three at lunch. A 68-run partnership came to an end when Williams was caught by Tucker off Young, and Zimbabwe was reduced to 174 for six after Brian Bennett and Clive Madande went out cheaply.
Myers, the highest scorer with 57 runs, had to depart with Adair’s second lbw. Lastly, Blessing Muzarabani was out before the tea break, leaving Zimbabwe at 182 for eight.
After their tea break, Ireland didn’t hesitate to dismiss Ngarava and Tanaka Chivanga via McBrine, which left them with 158 runs needed for victory. It seemed that the win was within reach because of the relatively low score they needed to achieve. However, an unexpected disaster at the top order put them in a precarious position.
Ngarava initiated the period of play feature with a fierce start, removing Peter Moor and Curtis Campher off the pitch in two consecutive deliveries, when Ireland could only manage six runs. The plight of the Irish intensified in the immediate next over as Balbirnie was dispatched by Muzarabani.
With elevated morale, Ngarava continued to wreak havoc on the Irish side. Harry Tector was dismissed without adding a run to the board; then, Paul Stirling (10) was sent back in an identical manner. The scorecard read 33 when the rain began to pour, causing further disruption to the game.