STORMONT – Ireland Men secured their second ever Test victory by beating Zimbabwe by four-wickets in Stormont on Sunday.
They did so thanks to superb half-centuries from Lorcan Tucker (56) and Andy McBrine (55*), with the latter rounding out a superb Test match by adding a match-winning unbeaten fourth innings to his seven wickets across the Test with the ball.
Starting the day requiring 125 runs for victory and with just five wickets in hand after being reduced to 33-5 by the close on Day Four, Ireland still had a considerable task on their hands.
But Tucker got into his work almost immediately with a series of impressive shots. McBrine soon got up to speed himself, with the pair putting on 96 for the sixth wicket before Tucker was dismissed.
Zimbabwe were unable to seize the initiative from there, though, as McBrine and Mark Adair (24*) saw their team home within the first session of the day.
Victory means Ireland have won each of their previous two Test matches after beating Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi earlier this year to open their account in cricket’s longest format.
It also provides an historic week in Northern Ireland with the perfect ending with test cricket in the region for the first time and then clinching a first Test win on home soil.
MATCH SUMMARY
Ireland v Zimbabwe, 1st Test, Day 4, Stormont, Belfast, Northern Ireland — 28 July 2024
Zimbabwe 1st innings 210 (71.3 overs; P Masvaure 74, J Gumbie 49; A McBrine 3-37, B McCarthy 3-42)
Ireland 1st innings 250 (58.3 overs; PJ Moor 79, A McBrine 28; T Chivanga 3-39, B Muzarabani 3-53)
Zimbabwe 2nd innings 197 (71 overs; D Myers 57, S Williams 40; A McBrine 4-38, C Young 2-37, M Adair 2-42)
Ireland 2nd innings 158-6 (36.1 overs; L Tucker 56, A McBrine 55*, M Adair 24*; R Ngarava 4-12)