On the fifth and final day, Ireland needs just 3 wickets to win, while Zimbabwe requires 109 more runs.
Rain disrupted play for more than a session, but in the time that remained, Matthew Humphreys shone with the ball. The left-arm spinner weaved his magic, putting Zimbabwe under pressure. At the end of Day 4, Ireland moved one step closer to a remarkable victory.
Chasing a target of 292 in Bulawayo’s lone Test, Zimbabwe reached 183/7 at stumps on Sunday. With just 3 wickets standing, they still need 109 runs on the final day, while Ireland is on the brink of securing another memorable win.
Since gaining Test status, Ireland lost their first seven matches in the longest format. However, they broke that streak with back-to-back wins in 2024—defeating Afghanistan by 6 wickets in February and Zimbabwe by 4 wickets in July. Now, they are on the verge of a third consecutive Test victory.
Humphreys played a pivotal role in Ireland’s dominance, finishing the day with figures of 4/41 along with 41 runs earlier in the match. Pacers Barry McCarthy and Mark Adair also contributed with two and one wicket, respectively.
For Zimbabwe, Wesley Madhevere is holding the fort. He remains unbeaten on 61 off 147 balls, hitting 7 fours. No other batter managed to reach fifty. Brian Bennett scored a solid 45 with 3 fours, while skipper Jonathan Campbell contributed 33 with 3 boundaries.
Due to rain, the day’s play started 20 minutes late and was further interrupted twice. Despite the delays, 53 overs were played.
Zimbabwe resumed their innings at 38/3 under overcast skies but lost nightwatchman Trevor Gwandu in the very first over. Bennett and Madhevere then built a resilient 65-run stand before Humphreys broke through, dismissing Bennett caught behind.
Madhevere found another partner in Campbell, adding 56 runs for the fifth wicket, but Humphreys struck again, taking a sharp return catch to dismiss the Zimbabwean captain. He later removed Mayavo in quick succession.
Madhevere and Niyamhurire survived the remainder of the day. Niyamhurire is unbeaten on 5 off 19 balls.
Match Summary:
- Ireland 1st Innings: 260
- Zimbabwe 1st Innings: 267
- Ireland 2nd Innings: 298
- Zimbabwe 2nd Innings (Target 292): 183/7 in 68 overs (Previous day: 38/3)
Bennett 45, Gwandu 2, Madhevere 61*, Campbell 33, Mayavo 8, Niyamhurire 5*
Adair 1/44 (16), McCarthy 2/22 (8), Humphreys 4/41 (19), McBrine 0/47 (17), Young 0/20 (7), Campher 0/3 (1)
