The unassuming ‘Mr Cricket’ of the Ireland team had the game of his life; three wickets in Zimbabwe’s first innings of 210, an invaluable 28 to help his side to a 40-run lead, followed by four more wickets and then his most important contribution.
McBrine, the nuts and bolts of the team, arrived at the crease on a gloomy Saturday evening with Ireland on 21-5 and surviving a brutal examination by the Zimbabwe quicks being far more important than the distant victory target of 158.
A decision to call off play early benefitted the home side because batting was far easier this morning and McBrine and Lorcan Tucker took advantage in the sunshine, energising another big crowd at Stormont with a sixth-wicket partnership of 96.
Tucker was the more fluent of the two, reaching his half-century from 56 balls, but the game fell back in the balance when the wicketkeeper was bowled via an inside for 56, including 10 fours, with 41 still needed.
Local hero Mark Adair joined McBrine and the pair, who added a record 163 against England at Lord’s last year, chipped away at the target with every run cheered louder than the previous.
McBrine reached his 50 with the finishing line in sight and was 55 not out when — perhaps fittingly — Adair smashed the winning four to add a second Test win to the six-wicket victory over Afghanistan in March.
“We tried to be as positive as we could and it was a fantastic win,” McBrine said. “I probably didn’t think growing up [in County Tyrone] that there’d ever be a Test in Belfast, and I’m delighted with the family being here.”
Father Junior, another man of few words who played 35 internationals in the 80s and 90s, would have been proud of his 31-year-old son who has played in eight of Ireland’s nine Tests, claiming 21 victims and best figures of 6-118.
Adair, who finished 24 not out, also deserves plaudits. After a shocking first-innings dismissal, he had his game face today and again showed the authority he has brought to his batting since making 88 against England.
“We asked ourselves on Saturday evening whether we were capable of scoring another 125 with the batting we had left — and of course we were,” Adair said.
“Full credit to Andy and Lorcan, though. If we had lost an early wicket, it would have made things very different, but it was a great partnership and quickly changed the momentum.”