Ireland 250 and 33 for 5 (Tucker 9*, Ngarava 4-12, Muzarabani 1-16) need 125 runs to beat Zimbabwe 210 and 197 (Myers 57, Williams 40, McBrine 4-38, Young 2-37, Adair 2-42)
More action couldn’t have been crammed into this 71-over day. There were 15 wickets, six dropped catches, Tanaka Chivanga retiring hurt temporarily, and a lightning four-over spell from Richard Ngarava that turned the game in Zimbabwe’s favour. Going into the penultimate day of this one-off Test, Zimbabwe need only five more wickets to win while Ireland require another 125.
The day had begun with Zimbabwe trailing by 28 runs with ten wickets still in hand. The morning session – like every other day of this Test – was the best time for batting and a drizzle seemed to benefit Dion Myers (57) and Sean Williams (40) as they pushed the lead towards a hundred. But Craig Young broke the stand, and the opening allowed Andy McBrine to run through the tail to finish with 4 for 58.
Chivanga, the No. 10, was hit on the helmet by Barry McCarthy, possibly with the ball bouncing off the shoulder and had to retire hurt. He returned after passing a concussion test later, but Ireland continued to bounce him and he copped a couple more blows. Chivanga was the last man gone and Zimbabwe folded for 197. Their last five partnerships earned only 46 runs, but the value of those runs would show later as batting got even tougher when Ireland came to chase.
Ngarava was the hero with his four-over spell in which he claimed 4 for 12 late in the day. One didn’t need to look at the speedometer to know he was bowling menacingly quick. The batters also approached him in such a manner that they always appeared at risk of getting an outside edge.
The pitch spiced up further in cloudy conditions and Blessing Muzarabani joined Ngarava in troubling Ireland. But nothing could have prepared Ireland for the hostile back-of-length deliveries from Ngarava that zipped off the pitch. With his second ball of the fourth innings, Ngarava got a ball to zip through and hit Peter Moor’s gloves to earn the first breakthrough.
Ngarava then earned a second wicket when Curtis Campher slapped his short-and-wide ball straight to backward point. Even though Harry Tector survived a snorter and a shooter, nearly every ball of that Ngarava over appeared to be a wicket-taking ball.
Muzarabani then picked out a third Ireland wicket in the space of 14 balls when Andy Balbirnie’s expansive drive found slip. Tector then had to walk back in frustration after being deemed caught behind off Ngarava, but perhaps felt he didn’t hit it. He couldn’t review either since DRS was not applied in this Test and the third umpire can only decide line calls.
Paul Stirling next copped a few body blows and was eventually caught behind off Ngarava as he tried one shot too many. Tucker attacked a little, getting two fours away to take Ireland into the thirties, but by then Zimbabwe had won that eight-over period, and rain only stopped the visitors from causing further damage.
Earlier, Zimbabwe batted decently for most of the day. Prince Masvaure was out caught behind, but like Tector later in the day, didn’t think he was out. The No. 3 Myers and No. 4 Craig Ervine put on 34 next, but the captain fell before lunch, lbw off Mark Adair shouldering arms.
Williams, the No. 5, started confidently, picking up two boundaries off Campher, and built a slow but secure stand of 68 with Myers. Play continued amid a drizzle that had McBrine search for grip and Young concede three boundaries in a 15-run over.
Even though Young had Williams dismissed and Matthew Humphreys took his maiden Test wicket, Myers passed fifty and carried Zimbabwe’s lead towards 150. He was eventually out lbw for 57 trying to survive a shooter from Adair, and McBrine cleaned up the tail to leave a target of 158 for the hosts.
At the end of day’s play, Ireland perhaps would also look back at their missed chances in the field. They had a chance in the second over of the day where McCarthy dropped a catch on the follow-through. Adair, at third slip, dropped Masvaure again to hand him two lives in as many balls.
Then Humphreys dropped Myers, on 31, at backward point with the ball bursting over head. McBrine had to endure another drop in his next over as Tucker couldn’t hold on to a skidding low catch offered by Myers. Young could’ve dismissed Brian Bennett in the over following the one in which he had Williams, but the ball burst through Adair at third slip, hurting him in the process. Stirling also dropped Muzarabani in the 61st over at first slip.
The weather forecast for day four is more promising, but Zimbabwe will have their tail up bowling on a pitch offering sideways and up-and-down movement. Ireland would hope the morning isn’t as terrifying as the final session of day three.
