HARARE, ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe A made steady progress on day three of the second unofficial Test against Ireland Wolves, but the visitors continued to chip away with wickets throughout the day.
Jordan Neill was the first to make a breakthrough, drawing Roy Kaia (34) into a pull shot that he failed to connect with cleanly, allowing Matthew Humphreys to take a good catch. Takudzwanashe Kaitano (45) then fell five short of his half-century when Gavin Hoey came around the wicket and bowled him around the legs as he attempted a sweep, reducing Zimbabwe A to 221-5.
Clive Madande and Kudzai Maunze added 70 for the sixth wicket before Maunze (57) chased a wayward short delivery from Neill down the leg side, with Ben Calitz taking a straightforward catch. Neill claimed his third wicket when Madande (57) attempted to uppercut a short ball but failed to get enough contact to clear Calitz.
The umpires called tea as the rain arrived, with Zimbabwe A on 322-7. Unfortunately, the rain persisted for the remainder of the day, leaving the home side trailing by 229 runs overnight and requiring 79 more runs to avoid the follow-on. Victor Chirwa (13) and Alex Falao (3) will look to build on their partnership when play resumes on the final morning tomorrow.
Play will resume tomorrow morning at 8am (GMT). Catch all the action live on the Zimbabwe Cricket Live YouTube channel or follow the score here.
Match summary
Zimbabwe A v Ireland A – 2nd Four-Day Match, Harare Sports Club, 12-15 November 2026, Day 3
Ireland A 551 all out (146 overs; G Hoey 144, M Humphreys 81, R Wilson 52*; S Mazvitorera 4-96)
Zimbabwe A 322-7 (83 overs; T V Makoni 52, K Maunze 57, C Madande 57; R Wilson 3-42, J Neill 3-81)
End of Day Three – Zimbabwe A trail by 229 runs
