Eire lead Zimbabwe by 76 runs with 9 second-innings wickets left because the one-off Check in Bulawayo stays within the steadiness after day two.
After beginning the day on 72-1 in response to Eire’s battling 260, the hosts collapsed to 200-9, regardless of Nick Welch’s 90, as Barry McCarthy produced his Check finest bowling figures of 4-75.
Nonetheless, day-one bowling hero Blessing Muzarabani (47) placed on 58 runs for the final wicket with Trevor Gwandu to present Zimbabwe a seven-run first-innings lead.
Eire made an encouraging begin to their second innings as Peter Moor (30) was their sole loss within the remaining 21 overs of play, with skipper Andrew Balbirnie’s unbeaten 32 serving to them attain 83-1.
Earlier, McCarthy’s precision and aggression troubled the hosts with Andy McBrine persevering with his spectacular match after his 90 in Eire’s first innings as he produced tidy bowling figures of 3-59.
The hosts resumed with Welch and Takudzwanashe Kaitano seeking to construct on their promising in a single day begin, however the latter was shortly trapped lbw by McCarthy.
McBrine’s first two wickets within the forty second over left Zimbabwe on 147-5 however, whereas Welch continued to construct his affected person innings, he quickly started to expire of companions earlier than his dismissal got here as Harry Tector took a superb catch at deep sq. leg off a Mark Adair supply.
At that stage, Eire seemed set to have a wholesome first-inning lead within the comparatively low-scoring contest however Muzarabani, who produced his finest Check bowling figures of 7-58 on day one, responded together with his 47 off 68 balls which helped his facet eke out a seven-run benefit.
Moor’s aggressive hitting, as he punished some wayward Muzarabani deliveries, helped Eire transfer shortly to 46-0 earlier than the opener edged a Richard Ngarava ball to wicketkeeper Nyasha Mayavo.
Curtis Campher remained unbeaten on 14 on the shut alongside Balbirnie as their 76-run benefit gave the vacationers maybe a slender benefit going into day three.
The Bulawayo contest is Eire’s first Check match since they defeated Zimbabwe by 4 wickets in Belfast final July.