Andy McBrine came to the rescue of Ireland again in Bulawayo yesterday making a career-best 90 not out to leave the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe evenly poised after the first day of five.

Off-spinner McBrine was well supported by Lorcan Tucker and Mark Adair as the visitors recovered from an alarming collapse to post 260 — but then found wickets hard to come by as the hosts closed on 72-1.

Andy McBrine (CricketIreland)

If not quite deja vu, there were several echos of Ireland’s first nine Tests in their 10th, especially in a clatter of early wickets that left the Boys in Green floundering on 31-5 and called into question Andy Balbirnie’s decision to bat.

PJ Moor, Balbirnie and Paul Stirling were all undone by the wicked extra bounce of Blessing Muzarabani, who also had Harry Tector caught at slip, while Curtis Campher pulled a short ball into his stumps at the other end.

When the sides met in Belfast last summer, Ireland crashed to 21-5 before Tucker and McBrine turned the match, and the same pair began the recovery yesterday with a lively sixth-wicket stand of 51 from 6.5 overs.

Wicketkeeper Tucker looked in cracking form, striking seven fours, only to drag a wide one into his stumps and depart for 33 from 28 balls, making way for Adair to reprise his partnership with McBrine against England in 2023 when both made 80s, 

The two all-rounders shared another crucial 127 only for Adair to chase a wide delivery and edge behind on 78 with a century there for the taking, just as it had been at Lord’s.

McBrine continued gathering his runs — driving smoothly and vicious on anything short — but again ran out of partners after facing 132 balls and hitting 12 boundaries, one fewer than his partner. Muzarabani finished with 7-58.

With Adair finally fulfilling his potential with the bat, and looking better every innings, it’s hard to decide who is Ireland’s most valuable player but McBrine probably still shades it for his consistency. 

The engine room of Tucker, McBrine and Adair is one of the most reliable in the international game and the main reason that the last five wickets are averaging more than the first five in 10 Tests to date.