NEW DELHI: Spinner Matthew Humphreys delivered another stellar performance, adding two more wickets to his four earlier in the innings as Ireland sealed a 63-run victory over Zimbabwe in their one-off Test at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Monday.
After winning the toss, Ireland posted 260 and 298, while Zimbabwe replied with 267 and 228. Wessly Madhevere’s attacking 84 was the standout effort for the hosts in their second innings.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!This win marked Ireland’s second consecutive Test triumph over Zimbabwe, following their four-wicket victory in Belfast last July.
"Humphreys was superb, and (Andy) McBrine too. Our bowlers worked hard, taking wickets at key moments," said Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie. "We love Test cricket as a team. Our guys have grown up playing one-day and T20 cricket, but they prepared well for this match."
Zimbabwe skipper Johnathan Campbell acknowledged his team's struggles with the bat: "Our bowlers impressed throughout, but we flopped with the bat. There were good individual performances, but we lacked overall cohesion. Wessly had a fighting knock, and debutant Nick (Welch) did well. There is exciting talent in Zimbabwe, and we are not far off."
Set 292 for victory, Zimbabwe's hopes were dashed by Humphreys, who finished with figures of 6-57 across three days. He dismissed first-innings centurion Welch (5) on Saturday before removing Brian Bennett (45) and Campbell (33) on Sunday.
On Monday, he trapped tail-ender Newman Nyamhuri (8) leg before and then bowled Madhevere, who had added 23 runs to his overnight 61. A quick delivery with the second new ball zipped past Madhevere’s outside edge, crashing into the stumps.
McBrine, atoning for earlier missed catches, took the final wicket by clean-bowling Richard Ngarava (14), sealing the win for Ireland.
McBrine, whose vital 90 in the first innings rescued Ireland from 31-5, was named Player of the Match.
Both teams now head to Harare for three one-day internationals starting Friday, followed by a three-match T20 series.
Brief scoresIreland 260 and 298 v Zimbabwe 267 and 228 (W. Madhevere 84, B. Bennett 45; M. Humphreys 6-57)
Check out our live coverage of Super Bowl LIX and find details on how to watch Super Bowl 2025 half time show live on Times of India.The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment