League: Cricket
Ireland will host Zimbabwe for a one-off Test match, scheduled to be played from July 25 to 29 at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast. This will be the first-ever red-ball contest between the two nations.
Ireland enter the match buoyed by their six-wicket victory over Afghanistan in their last Test, a solid performance across all departments. They will look to carry that momentum into this home fixture.
Zimbabwe, on the other hand, haven’t played Test cricket since their 1-0 series defeat to the West Indies in February 2023. The African side will be eager to rediscover their rhythm in the longest format and challenge the Irish team.
The Civil Service Cricket Club pitch is expected to offer a balanced challenge for both bat and ball. Seamer-friendly conditions are anticipated early on, with the new ball likely to extract movement. However, as the match progresses, the surface should become increasingly conducive to batting. Spinners are unlikely to find much purchase throughout the game.
Choice 1: Sean Williams (c), Mark Adair (vc)
Choice 2: Curtis Campher (c), Blessing Muzarabani (vc)
Andy McBrine, Richard Ngarava, Craig Young, Dion Myers
Ireland: Peter Moor, Andrew Balbirnie (c), Curtis Campher, Harry Tector, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Andy McBrine, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young, James McCollum, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Gavin Hoey
Zimbabwe: Craig Ervine (c), Joylord Gumbie, Roy Kaia, Clive Madande (wk), Prince Masvaure, Dion Myers, Sean Williams, Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Tendai Chatara, Tanaka Chivanga, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Blessing Muzarabani