Ireland vs Zimbabwe Preview & Prediction | Only Test
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It is just the second ever home Test match for Ireland and the first ever Test match being played in Northern Ireland as the Irish, with plenty of struggles off the field, take on Zimbabwe in a rare five-day encounter for the two sides.
DATE/TIME: Thursday 25th July, 2024 - UK – 11:00am / INDIA – 3:30pm / US EST – 06:00am / US PST – 04:00am
VENUE: Stormont Cricket Ground, Belfast, Northern Ireland
WEATHER: Day 1 – 17c or 62.6 F rising to 18c or 64.4 F with some light rain / Day 2 – 15c or 59 F rising to 17c or 62.6 F with some light rain / Day 3 – 15c or 59 F or 64.4 F rising to 18c or 59 F with some light rain / Day 4 – 15c or 59 F with some cloud 15c / Day 5 – 15c or 64.4 F rising to 18c or 64.4 F with some sunny intervals and cloud
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – N/A / INDIA – N/A / US – N/A
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – YouTube / INDIA – Fancode / US – N/A
IRELAND FORM: CLINGING TO SOME HOPE
Finances and funding will always be something that plague and dominate what is a wealthy sport and Test cricket itself is perhaps even unavoidable for some of the smaller ‘full member’ nations such as Ireland and Zimbabwe. That said, the Irish would have lined up this summer’s Test with Zimbabwe as a brilliant opportunity to get their first Test win – that was until a glimmer of light for the long-form game in the country shone earlier this year as they pulled off a shock win over Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates, winning by six wickets.
LAST FIVE: WLLLL
ZIMBABWE FORM: LOOKING FOR SOME HOPE
Zimbabwe played their first Test match all the way back in 1992 when they shared a draw with India in Harare. With a scheduled Test against England in England next summer, the Africans will be hoping to build again having not played Test cricket since February 2023. They have avoided defeats in seven of their last 15 Tests in a run that stretches back to 2017 but the lack of games played and constant changes within their setup, both in the boardroom and on the pitch, makes it very difficult to build a cohesion and team unit in Test cricket.
LAST FIVE: LDLLL
IRELAND BETTING ANALYSIS
Andrew Balbirnie remains the red-ball captain of Ireland and his move to the top of the order was inspired in the UAE earlier this year. His 58 not out steered his country home to a historic first Test win and he will be determined to make sure an opening partnership with Peter Moor begins to really take hold in Belfast. Balbirnie to be Ireland’s top scorer in the match would appear a safe bet.
In terms of the bowling department, Ireland are without the likes of George Dockrell and Josh Little but still have quite a few intriguing options. Perhaps the best bet to pick up the most wickets for the Irish, on what could be a slow-ish track at Stormont, would be to go with either Mark Adair or Curtis Campher with their white-ball skills and general variation set to be relatively difficult to face for the Zimbabweans.
ZIMBABWE BETTING ANALYSIS
Like Ireland, Zimbabwe are also missing key players due to other commitments and they are without their genuinely world class all-rounder Sikandar Raa. Stalwarts in the middle-order, though, Craig Ervine and Sean Williams, remain with Williams enjoying an excellent latter few years in his international career, actually currently averaging 41.36 in 14 Test matches. Williams to be their steady and experienced head with the most runs in the match seems safe.
With the ball is where Zimbabwe are perhaps a touch more interesting with the likes of Tendai Chatara, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani. In what is expected to be bowler friendly conditions in Northern Ireland, it should well be the right-arm medium pace of Muzarabani, who has 19 wickets in six Tests at an average of just 24.89, that is their biggest threat and returns the best bowling figures from their likely pace heavy attack.
IRELAND VS ZIMBABWE EXPERT PREDICTION
The lack of Test cricket that both of these sides play and can afford to play makes a result very difficult to call. The fact that Ireland managed to drag themselves over the line against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates will give them immense confidence and there does appear to be a real willingness from the likes of Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher to prove themselves in the long form game. Zimbabwe, though, have a bowling attack that will really worry what could be a fragile Irish top order – but the same can be said for Zimbabwe with their strength coming after the loss of a couple of wickets. Ervine and Williams dealing with a lack of threatening pace from Ireland and the likes of Muzarabani et al worrying an Irish batting lineup that consistently flatter to deceive could mean we get a surprise up in Northern Ireland here.
IRELAND VS ZIMBABWE TIP: ZIMBABWE TO WIN
