Andy Balbirnie led his Ireland side to a useful 76-run lead over Zimbabwe in Bulawayo at the end of a second day of mixed fortunes and shifting momentum in the one-off Test match.
The skipper and PJ Moor shared Ireland’s third-highest opening stand in Tests — albeit only 46 — to waylay any fears of a second collapse after the inexperienced home side had somehow scrambled to a seven-run first innings lead.
Moor, playing against his countrymen, rattled along to 30 from 33 balls, including five boundaries before he tickled one behind, but Balbirnie stood firm and was 32 not out as Ireland closed on 83-1.
Earlier in the day, Barry McCarthy had recorded his Test best figures of 4-75 as Ireland patiently worked their way through the unfamiliar Zimbabwe line-up.
Debutant Nick Welch held the innings together with a top score of 90 until he fell to a stunning catch by Harry Tector to leave the home side nine down and still 60 runs in arrears.
A frustrating last-wicket partnership then took Zimbabwe into a slender lead and with the pitch getting easier to bat on, the Boys in Green won’t feel confident defending anything under 300 in the fourth innings.
McCarthy, with one wicket already in his bag from the previous evening, broke through again with a plumb lbw, and a similar ball, nipping in off the seam, then found its way through Brian Bennett’s defences.
With no help from the pitch, off-spinner Andy McBrine struck twice in an over, thanks to Moor’s quick reactions at short leg knocking up a catch to wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker, and Zimbabwe’s new captain Johnathan Campbell slapping to cover.
The pattern of wickets falling in pairs continued with an lbw that was so straight McBrine was celebrating it well before the finger went up, and McCarthy claiming his fourth four balls later as Balbirnie held a fast edge at second slip.
Welch and Richard Ngarava both fell to catches in the deep off Mark Adair — the latter caught at long off before Tector leapt shoulder height to his right at deep mid-wicket to deny the debutant a century he probably deserved.