Andy McBrine salvages innings for Ireland after horror start

Andy McBrine missed out on a maiden Test century for Ireland on the first day of their one-off Test against Zimbabwe.

After being reduced to 31 for five, Ireland managed to post 260 in their first innings on a whirlwind day of cricket marked by spirited individual performances and a commanding bowling display from Blessing Muzarabani.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, the Irish innings began on shaky ground, with Zimbabwe's bowlers striking early to put Ireland on the back foot.

Muzarabani drew first blood by dismissing Peter Moor for just four runs, setting the tone for a relentless attack. Moor was undone by a cleverly varying length, slicing a delivery into the hands of Ben Curran at slip.

The wickets kept tumbling as Richard Ngarava got in on the act, sending Campher back to the pavilion after an awkward pull onto his stumps. Muzarabani continued his rampage by removing skipper Andy Balbirnie, caught by Kaitano at short leg. After that, Harry Tector edged a beauty from Muzarabani to slip.

In the ninth over, the gangly bowler unleashed a brute of a delivery that silenced Paul Stirling. With no reverse swing, it was sheer pace and bounce that did the trick. The ball pinged off the leading edge and ballooned straight to Brian Bennett in the slips, leaving Ireland staggering at 31 for five.

Ireland's innings found stability in the impressive counterattack led by Mark Adair and McBrine. Adair played a fearless knock, finding the boundary nine times in his 78 off 91 deliveries. McBrine provided the perfect foil, playing a composed knock on the other end.

Adair's aggressive approach, particularly after lunch, saw him cracking four boundaries in New Nyamhuri’s two overs after lunch. The bowling all-rounder did suffer a