Cape Cobras made a strong start to the season by completing a commanding 10-wicket win over Lions in their domestic season opener in Potchefstroom. Cobras racked up a mammoth 543 in the first innings the foundation of which was laid by a 188-run opening stand between Andrew Puttick and Alistair Gray. Puttick went to score 194 making sure that a good start wasn’t wasted. An unbeaten 97 by wicketkeeper Dane Vilas then took the Cobras past 500. Imran Tahir, with 5 for 176, was the most successful bowler for Lions.In reply, Lions made a good start to put up 125 for 1, but the batsmen failed to build on the starts and Lions were forced to follow on as the innings collapsed on 210. In Lions’ second innings, Quinton de Kock matched the effort of Cobras top-scorer with 194 runs and received some support from Neil McKenzie, who scored 51. But de Kock fell to the offspin for Dale Piedt, who went on to pick up his fifth five-wicket haul. Lions’ second innings folded on 339, giving Cobras a target of seven runs which they achieved without any loss.Knights and Titans played out a draw at the De Beers Diamond Oval in Kimberley, but Knights picked up more points after gaining a substantial first-innings lead. After choosing to bat, Knights recovered from a precarious position at 59 for 4 to post a formidable 455. This was made possible by a 259-run fifth-wicket stand between Ryan Bailey, who achieved a career-best of 220, and captain Morne van Wyk, who made 133. Seamer Ethy Mbhalati picked up 6 for 98, his best first-class figures.In their response, Titans conceded a lead of 155. Three of their batsmen – Jacques Rudolph, Heino Kuhn and Roelof van der Merwe – scored half-centuries but none was able to push on. The innings wickets were shared by seamers Ryan McLaren and Quinton Friend, both bagging a five-for.The Knights pushed the lead past 400 in their second innings, opener Reeza Hendricks making 53 and Obus Pienaar top-scoring with 80. The innings folded for 246, with Mbhalati picking five more to finish with 11 in the match. Titans were given in excess of 40 overs to battle in the fourth innings. They played out 46, finishing with 159 for 4 and settling for the draw.
An errant decade or so of transfer dealings has seen Manchester United regularly splash the cash on expensive, high-profile names, while also overlooking possible bargain, astute deals for future superstars.
In that latter category, there are almost too many missed opportunities to count, having failed to heed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s advice regarding a £4m-rated teenager named Erling Haaland, while also rejecting the chance to sign Benjamin Sesko for just £2.5m back in 2019.
With regard to midfielders, journalist Andy Mitten has revealed that United also snubbed the opportunity to sign Adam Wharton, prior to his £20m switch to Crystal Palace in January 2024, while the Red Devils had previously backed away from a bargain deal for a little-known Ecuadorian teenager named Moises Caicedo.
The consequence? The new INEOS and Ruben Amorim regime remains in desperate need of midfield solutions, with it likely to prove far more costly to solve those problems this month.
Man Utd targeting Carlos Baleba alternatives
After those ‘what if’ scenarios with regard to Wharton and Caicedo in recent years, United now enter 2026 looking likely to have to pay a premium for a genuine midfield upgrade, namely Carlos Baleba.
As reported by Sky Sports, INEOS have been exploring the conditions of a potential deal for Bryan Mbeumo’s Cameroon teammate, albeit with no move set to take place this month.
Brighton and Hove Albion appear unwilling to let their 21-year-old sensation leave mid-season, having also reportedly slapped a £100m plus price tag on his head over the summer.
That same Sky Sports report does indicate that other more left-field midfield targets are being considered, however, with United said to be keeping tabs on Lille starlet, Ayyoubd Bouaddi.
The 18-year-old is one of the ‘younger prospects’ that the Old Trafford side have in mind, should they opt against moving for the likes of Baleba, Wharton and Elliot Anderson, who are deemed to be the ‘top targets’.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
No price tag is given with regard to the teenage Bouaddi, although recent speculation suggested he could still command a fee of around £52m.
Why Bouaddi could be an ideal Baleba alternative
For so long, as already explained, United’s model has appeared to be to almost wait and see how promising players fare at other Premier League clubs, rather than seeking to nurture that talent themselves.
That, evidently, has been the case with the likes of Wharton and Caicedo, while the club were also said to have been scouting Baleba in 2023, prior to joining Brighton for around £23m that summer.
While a deal for another Lille sensation, Bouaddi, may require greater investment, it could see United skip out the middle man on this occasion, rather than allowing a club like the Seagulls to steal a march instead.
Signing such a young talent, at a time when Amorim is in desperate need of a midfield upgrade, is a risk, although the Baleba-style potential is already there, with Bouaddi lauded as a “world-class talent” by scout Jacek Kulig.
The teenage Frenchman doesn’t turn 19 until October, yet he has already made 74 senior appearances for the Ligue 1 side, registering four assists in that time from his central midfield berth.
Potentially set to follow in Leny Yoro’s footsteps by trading Lille for Manchester, the France U21 international has made 20 appearances in all competitions this season, 14 of which have come in the league, ranking highly across a string of metrics in comparison to his Ligue 1 peers.
Subscribe for deeper transfer analysis in our newsletter Unlock focused transfer analysis — subscribe to the newsletter for scouting context and valuation perspectives on Manchester United’s midfield options, including in-depth looks at targets like Ayyoubd Bouaddi and other emerging prospects.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Indeed, as per FBref, Bouaddi ranks in the top 8% for successful take-ons and the top 16% for touches in the attacking penalty area, while also ranking in the top 1% for blocks per 90, highlighting that all-round quality to his game.
Most valuable U18s in Europe
Player
Club
Value
Lamine Yamal
Barcelona
£174m
Estevao
Chelsea
£70m
Pau Cubarsi
Barcelona
£70m
Lennart Karl
Bayern
£52m
Franco Mastantuono
Real Madrid
£44m
Geovany Quenda
Sporting
£39m
Ayyoud Bouaddi
Lille
£35m
Rodrigo Mora
Porto
£35m
Luka Vuskovic
Spurs (Hamburg)
£35m
Ethan Nwanier
Arsenal
£35m
via Transfermarkt
More broadly, among those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues, the £52m diamond ranks in the top 6% for successful take-ons, showcasing his innate ball-carrying prowess from deep.
It may appear too soon for a Premier League switch, although Baleba actually made the move to the Amex after just 23 senior games at Lille, with the then-19-year-old now arguably “one of the best midfielders in the league”, in the view of Como scout Ben Mattinson.
There is a pathway there for Bouaddi to follow, although rather than watching the teenager potentially thrive elsewhere, INEOS should be brave enough to strike now, instead of being left to regret it later down the line.
Watch out Yoro & Heaven: Man Utd now targeting "monster" £35m signing
This Man Utd target could add more competition for places
Sri Lankan cricket fans face a television blackout as their team takes on Pakistan in the Asian Test Championship final at Lahore on Thursday after an advertising crisis triggered by an acute power shortage in the country.The two major cricket broadcasters in the country, the state run Ruphavahini Corporation and MTV Television, were forced to abandon plans of telecasting the match on the eve of the final to avoid serious financial losses.Low rainfall has forced the hydro-electric power dependent Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to enforce daily five-hour power cuts across the country, which in turn has forced the slashing of television-based advertising budgets.Despite this being a final, and a particularly mouthwatering one at that, sponsors have showed little interest in coming forward at the last-minute to fund the coverage.Ruphavahini decided not to bid for the game, whilst MTV’s bid was not accepted by Trans World International (TWI), the international rights brokers entrusted with the sale of the rights overseas, who were demanding approximately USD $ 20,000 for the feed exclusive of satellite costs.
More than a month after wrongly adjudging Sachin Tendulkar out caught behind in the final one-day international against England at Lord’s, umpire Aleem Dar has apologised, saying that it occurred due to a sudden lapse in concentration.Tendulkar, batting on 30, was beaten while trying to drive a full-length delivery from Andrew Flintoff outside the off stump. However, replays showed that the bat had clipped the pad instead and Tendulkar stood long enough to register his bewilderment before slowly heading off. His wicket was a big blow for India as they were bowled out for a modest 188, losing by seven wickets and the series 4-3.”Immediately after I gave Tendulkar caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior off Andrew Flintoff I realised from his reaction that I had given a wrong decision,” Dar told . “On that ball, Flintoff was very close to bowling a no-ball and as I was looking at his foot, my concentration was disturbed.”Though he regretted the decision, Dar said he didn’t consider recalling Tendulkar as it was something he had never done before in his international career.”Since I had never called any batsman after giving a decision I did not call him back,” he said. “So, if I were to call Tendulkar I would also call the last man if given wrongly out. I knew that match was the decider. And I was upset after giving that decision. It was a tough match.”Dar said he had apologised to Tendulkar after the match. “After the game when players shake hands with the umpires, Tendulkar also shook my hands on the field. As he did that I said to him ‘hard luck’.”
Just when it appeared as if West Indies had assumed a vice-like grip on Multan Test, Pakistan hit back through an assertive batting performance, leaving a draw the most likely result. Led by Lara’s cracking double-century, West Indies managed an imposing first-innings lead but the flat nature of the surface, and lack of a quality spinner, thwarted their bid to force home the advantage.Facing a 234-run deficit, Pakistan chose to smash their way out of trouble with three of their top-order batsmen easing to half-centuries. Imran Farhat’s stylish 70 not out was buttressed with aggressive, yet contrasting, half-centuries from the two Ys – Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf – and it would require a sensational collapse for either team to force a result from here on.Farhat’s was an innings of two halves. The first 64 deliveries he faced produced just 15 runs and, uncharacteristically, not a single boundary. He endured a few jitters – swishing at the air with his customary wafts outside off, uncertain about whether to play or leave – and often preferred the edge of the bat rather than the middle. The eye-catching part of the innings followed, with spanking cover-drives pinging the advertising hoardings. His innings should have ended on 44 but Shivnarine Chanderpaul, despite a fine attempt, couldn’t latch on to a smoked cover-drive. Once let off, there was no stopping him; the extravagant flourish at the end of each drive made them that much more elegant.He was probably helped early on by Younis’s urgency. The duo came together at the fall of the first wicket – Mohammad Hafeez couldn’t keep out a speedy incutter from Jerome Taylor, in a post-lunch spell where he incessantly targeted the stumps. Younis telegraphed his intentions the moment he entered, scampering a single off his first ball, attempting an ambitious pull off his second, and flicking to midwicket off his fourth. He didn’t hold back against the wide ones, cutting fiercely to the point boundary; with one such shot he became the tenth Pakistani batsman to cross 4000 Test runs.Aggressive fields helped – West Indies had no other option but to put fielders around the bat and hope for an edge – and the belter of a surface provided a perfect stage.Yousuf, the other half-centurion, managed the most fluent innings of the day. On his way to becoming the highest scorer in a calendar year, he simply carried on in his magnificent form, easing effortlessly into drives. He was lucky on 51, not offering a stroke and being rapped on the pads, but Daryl Harper, somewhat inexplicably, preferred to give him the benefit of the doubt. That moment of uncertainty over, he continued his torment.Pakistan’s bowlers found some joy as well, once Brian Lara had brought up his ninth Test double-century. He needed to be cautious early on in the day to counter the dangerous reverse-swing that Umar Gul and Shahid Nazir were generating. He brought up his double-century with a pushed three through cover-point and continued to bide his time against accurate bowling.On 216, though, when he was just one run short of the highest score by a West Indian batsman in Pakistan (Rohan Kanhai’s 217 at Lahore in 1958-59) he was tempted into a false stroke, inducing a leading edge off Kaneria to long-on. Kaneria went on to earn a pyrrhic victory, finishing with 5 for 181 while Abdul Razzaq, who was also taken apart yesterday, cleaned up the last two wickets.
Rahul Dravid On the pitch It looks a good wicket. Too much was made of the pitch at Kolkata and I thought we didn’t bat well enough. Hopefully we will bounce back here but we have to take into account the dew factor that will play a role later on.On the Kolkata crowd Luckily I was not fielding on the boundary line like others who had to put up with the abuses. I told the others jokingly that we are in good company, in the company of the great Sunil Gavaskar who too had to face a similar reception in Kolkata along with the 1983 World Cup winning team. If that side could get booed, I think we’re doing something right.On the form of his batsmen and pressure ahead of the game We’d like to get off to good starts. Sachin [Tendulkar] has been looking really good at the nets and tomorrow he will be playing in front of his home crowd. We’re confident that he will get it right soon. There’s always pressure going into any game. South Africa have never won a series in India and there is pressure on them too. Both teams will be facing similar pressures.About the lop-sided nature of the games and the dew factor The last three games have been one-sided contests with the side that’s bowling first dominating the game. The initiative has been taken away early and it’s been tough for the other team to come back. Maybe the dew factor has to be looked into and assessed. Converting day-night games into day games could be an option in the long-run.On the overall performance of the team since the start of the Sri Lanka series We began the series against Sri Lanka on a very low ebb but the journey over the last few weeks has been great. It will surely be a period where we learnt how to become a better team. We need one big last effort tomorrow to level this series, but even if we don’t manage it we have done well. We played some tough cricket and I’ve been very happy with the spirit and atmosphere in the side.Greg ChappellOn whether they will continue to experiment We will keep trying different things in different games. Sometimes they will look normal, at other times may look out of the ordinary. It’s a long journey to the 2007 World Cup and we would continue to do what needs to be done irrespective of what others think.On the benefits of playing a strong team like South Africa It’s a very good thing that we have been challenged by a team like South Africa who play very good cricket. It’s a great challenge and a big learning experience for all of us. The benefits of this series would be seen in a few months or within the year. They are a good team and have come here on the back of a 20-match winning streak. We have come off a poor run in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. It’s not much use playing against weak teams and feeling content about winning.On Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag I am very happy over Tendulkar’s comeback from injury. He has coped well with the work load. He’s been playing for 17 years and still has the same enthusiasm and the keenness to improve. He’s got great work ethics. Sehwag has had one good game like most others too. It will be helpful to him in the long run to bat in the middle order too. His batting has improved enormously, but we have not seen the best of Virender Sehwag yet, not by a long mile. He’s still in the development process. He’s ready to reach another new level, a higher one as batsman.
Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik scored well-paced centuries, shared a 223-run partnership, and took Pakistan to 343 for 5, a score that ended the match as a contest at the half-way stage. Once this huge score was on the board, Hong Kong came under immense pressure and folded for 169, as Pakistan romped home by 173 runs. Persistent rain interruptions reduced the target to 339 from 47 overs, but this didn’t make the slightest bit of difference to the eventual result. This sobering loss ended Hong Kong’s brief association with one-day international cricket for the moment, as they were knocked out of the Asia Cup.Hong Kong’s best chance – and that was a minute one – lay in restricting Pakistan to less than 250. Their bowlers kept them in the match against Bangladesh, restricting them to 221, and a similar effort was needed to keep Pakistan quiet. And Khalid Khan, the left-arm seamer, snapped up both the openers and gave them a glimmer of hope. But all thoughts of restriction were squashed when Younis joined Malik and displayed a whippet-like urgency between the wickets and improvised with ease. Then came the torrent in the last 10 overs and the total went way beyond Hong Kong’s reach.Malik has been a handy customer while coming in lower down in the order and smashing it around towards the end, but hadn’t replicated the same success at No. 3. Yesterday he fell to a needless run-out, but he made sure he didn’t miss out today. He began with a flurry of boundaries, shifted to a lower gear for a short while in the middle overs before launching into an assault towards the end. Loose balls, which were readily available, weren’t spared and the run-rate was constantly hovering around the five-and-a-half per over mark.Younis, who has been in and out of the Pakistan side, also missed out yesterday and hadn’t scored a fifty for nearly a year. His cheeky glides and paddle-sweeps put the bowlers completely off their rhythm and the running between the wickets, along with Malik, kept them within sight of a 300-plus total. Younis, who made nearly 70 runs behind the wicket, swept consummately in the arc between fine-leg and midwicket. Around the 40-over mark, both batsmen shifted to clatter mode and kickstarted the barrage of fours and sixes.Malik, whose hundred came at a run-a-ball, finally fell for 118 as he was caught short of his crease by a direct hit (274 for 3). This was Malik’s third century in one-dayers and included ten fours and two towering sixes. Younis brought up his maiden one-day hundred a shade faster, off 99 balls, and went on a rampage soon after. Abdul Razzaq, an ideal batsman to have in such a situation, joined in the fun and helped propel the total past 300. Younis’s last 44 runs came in only 23 balls, before holing out to Nadeem at midwicket and the last 10 overs produced 105 runs.Chasing 344 is monumental in itself, but having to do so under murky skies with Mohammad Sami and Razzaq producing some unplayable balls makes it almost impossible. Hong Kong crawled along for most of the innings barring a cameo from Tabarak Dar in the middle. After Nasir Hameed was out to the third ball, Tim Smart and Alexander French shared a painful partnership, with French hardly looking for any scoring opportunities. Both were beaten on several occasions and Smart was finally out to Razzaq with Younis completing a sharp chance at second slip (45 for 2).Dar’s six boundaries, four of which were crisply struck, added a coating of vim to the lethargic afternoon. He went after anything short that Naved-ul-Hasan dished out and even dug out a yorker and sent it speeding to the long-off fence. Malik’s fuller one finally did him in as he was bowled trying to sweep from outside the off (95 for 3). French fell in the very next ball, playing on to Farhat, and that triggered a mini-procession. Farhat struck two more quick blows and Sami came back and pocketed the wicket of Ilyas Gul (102 for 7).Razzaq put in an improved performance after a lacklustre show yesterday but the extras bug haunted all the bowlers – they sent down 18 wides and seven no-balls. Manoj Cheruparambil and Afzaal Haider delayed the inevitable in fading light, before Malik wrapped up the tail and completed a great day at the office. Similar days, though, will be vital when the second round of matches begins on Wednesday.
St Cross Symondians chase their sixth successive win when they entertain Southern Electric Premier League, Division 2 strugglers Gosport Borough at the Royal Green Jackets Ground, Winchester, tomorrow, 1pm.Four points ahead of Old Tauntonians & Romsey and six clear of Easton & Martyr Worthy, St Cross are anxious to stay in front as the second-half of the league programme gets underway.Fresh from graduating with an Honours degree in Art, Ben Adams returns for St Cross, as does Marc Rees.All three contenders start favourites to win tomorrow, with OT’s entertaining Sparsholt at Romsey and Easton going to unchanged Burridge.Ian Tulk is missing for OT’s, but the absence of in-form Tim Richings will be a major blow for Sparsholt, whose four-match winning run was ended by Burridge last week.Lymington are at last back to full strength as they bid to halt a four-match losing sequence at Purbrook, who have lost all six matches since last season’s heady Premier 3 title triumph.Hursley Park go to United Services, where Hampshire’s Chris Tremlett, who took five Lymington wickets last week, may be looking to continue his injury return by getting some much needed batting practice.
A gritty unbeaten century by Brad Hodge put Victoria in a comfortable position after day one of the Pura Cup cricket match against South Australia at Adelaide Oval today.Hodge battled tough conditions to be not out 100 at stumps as the Bushrangers reached 4-228.He was joined by Ian Harvey, who remained not out 29.Play was extended for an hour after three rain interruptions during the day and even when the lights were switched on, the atmosphere was dim.But the pair faced up well to the new ball late in the day, putting on a 53-run partnership with Hodge reaching his 13th first-class ton off 209 deliveries, including 12 fours.”It wasn’t my most glorious innings in the world,” Hodge said.”It’s good to get off to a good start. Last season I started off with an 85 not out against a full-strength New South Wales and that kicked me on my way, now this, it’s good for the team.”I struggled a bit because I’m a bit colour-blind. It got really dark.”With key strike bowlers Paul Wilson and Brett Swain out injured, SA youngster Paul Rofe (2-38) stepped up in only his fourth first-class match to make thebreakthrough for the Redbacks on the last ball before lunch.Jason Arnberger had reached 17 before he slashed at a delivery from the 20-year-old paceman, hitting the ball straight to Ben Higgins, who took a comfortable catch low to his left at cover point.The visitors added just two runs to their lunchtime total before Rofe struck again when Matthew Mott edged a catch to wicketkeeper Graham Manou to put Victoria at 2-47.Victorian opener Matthew Elliott looked dangerous, facing 119 balls and hitting five fours on his way to 42.But when Hodge hit a Mark Harrity delivery and the pair set off for a run, SA skipper Darren Lehmann pounced on the ball and returned it underarm to the ‘keepers end, catching Elliott out of his ground.Hodge then combined with Michael Klinger for 83 runs.After batting for more than an hour and facing 67 deliveries for just 13, Klinger picked up the pace after tea, adding another 22 from 44 balls, including four fours.But Klinger’s innings ended on 35 when he edged Harrity to the ‘keeper.Test paceman Jason Gillespie bowled well without reward, finishing on no wicket for 45 from 23 overs while Harrity finished with 1-65 from 21 overs.
Scorecard and ball by ball detailsFile Photo – Craig Ervine hit nine fours and two sixes during his unbeaten 101•Associated Press
An unbeaten century from Craig Ervine guided Zimbabwe to a series win over Ireland in the second one-day international at the Harare Sports Club. Ervine batted for more than 40 overs in stifling heat to set up Zimbabwe’s five-wicket win with an over and a half to spare. He shared in a 98-run third wicket partnership with Sean Williams that laid the platform for Zimbabwe, after which Tino Mutombodzi helped to keep things ticking over and Sikandar Raza’s 29-ball 33 took the game away from Ireland. All the while, Ervine continued to pick gaps and the odd boundary, bringing up his ton and the end of the match with his ninth four.
Ireland coach calls for more fixtures
John Bracewell, the Ireland coach, has said that his side needs more fixtures against quality opposition to keep improving. Ireland ran Zimbabwe close in the first two games of their ongoing ODI series but lost both in the penultimate over. “At the moment Zimbabwe have shown greater composure at the pressure points and that counts for a lot,” Bracewell said. “They have been playing a lot of tough cricket for a period of time, and that really helps you deal with pressure points. You have just come out of a series against Pakistan, you had a competitive series against New Zealand. You are getting used to competing because you are playing a lot more cricket. “We have recognized that as a country, we need to have more fixtures, exactly like how you guys are doing – having series, being competitive, playing day in and day out, and on surfaces that are going to test you. “We have been an event-based country. We fire up for World Cups and that is pretty much all we get. We get fragments of games in between that. We now need to play basically around the clock like all the international teams. The gap will narrow on teams the more cricket we get.”
As the match neared its conclusion, the result seemed a foregone conclusion and the question was whether or not Ervine could reach his ton within the limited runs remaining. The jovial, celebratory atmosphere in the ground was a far cry from the pressure cooker Ervine had entered into when Zimbabwe lost both of their openers within the first nine overs of their chase.Chamu Chibhabha and Richmond Mutumbami had approached their task with attacking intent, but when they fell in consecutive overs the Ireland attack had their tails up and a clear opening with Zimbabwe at 51 for 2 in the ninth over. The response from the left-handed pair of Ervine and Sean Williams was to go on the counterattack, and Ervine motored into the 20s with a flurry of boundaries, the pick of which was a shimmy-and-swipe off George Dockrell that flew high over long off.Williams, meanwhile, used the sweep to particularly good effect and brought up the fifty partnership with a one-kneed swat to the long-leg boundary. He continued to be proactive against spin, but eventually perished playing one shot too many when he lifted offspinner Andrew McBrine straight to Ed Joyce at long on. Zimbabwe were 149 for 3 then, and Ireland might have surged once more but Mutombodzi, elevated up the order, picked up where Williams left off to keep Zimbabwe ticking over.At the other end, Ervine was in cruise control, setting himself to bat right through the innings and anchor Zimbabwe’s chase. An inspired piece of fielding from George Dockrell in the covers eventually got rid of Mutombodzi in the 37th over, and had Niall O’Brien been able to hold a thick edge off Ervine’s bat in the next over, standing up to the stumps to John Mooney, Ireland might have been able to wrest back control of the match.Just as the pressure threatened to build once more, Ervine found a brace of boundaries on the leg side off Tim Murtagh and then moved into the 90s with a clean six down the ground followed by a controlled sweep for one off Paul Stirling’s offspin. When Raza kicked his own batting into overdrive, it seemed Ervine might not reach his hundred, but he departed with 13 still needed and Elton Chigumbura left it to Ervine to take Zimbabwe home – and reach his second ODI hundred in a successful chase – with his eighth and ninth fours off John Mooney.His efforts bettered an industrious day with the bat for Ireland. They had been put in to bat by Zimbabwe in the morning, but responded in bellicose fashion. Paul Stirling weathered the early loss of his captain and opening partner in his own inimitable style, rushing into the 70s at close to a run a ball before he was trapped lbw by Raza.Niall O’Brien continued the fight with a half-century that included three huge sixes, and Gary Wilson ensured their good work was not undone as he marshaled Ireland’s charge at the death. Zimbabwe picked up regular wickets, but Wilson found even more regular boundaries as Ireland reached an imposing 268 for 7. But after an early wobble in their chase, Zimbabwe managed to stay ahead of the asking rate for most of the afternoon thanks to Ervine and a vocal home crowd cheered their moral-boosting victory.