Ireland Wolves have a first innings lead of 163 after two days of their four-day game against Zimbabwe A at the Harare Sports Club.

The hosts were bowled out for 261 in exactly 80 overs with the 10 wickets equally shared between the three pace men and two spinners.

Only the experienced Takudzwanashe Kaitano put up any lengthy resistance and was left 108 not out when Gavin Hoey, who added only four more runs to his overnight total at the start of the day, took the final wicket with the last ball of the day.

Mark Adair on his return to the bowling crease had figures of one for 44 from 16 overs, across three spells and was the most economical bowler of the day, just shading his captain, Matthew Humprheys who was the most successful with three for 60 from 21 overs.

While Zimbabwe A used eight bowlers on day one, Humphreys has been forced to rely on his five specialists but they did not let him down. Liam McCarthy had to wait until his 12th over for a breakthrough after being denied a catch behind down the leg side when Kaitano was on 76, Byron McDonough, on his first class debut had two for 47 from 14 overs and Hoey, two for 62 from his 16 overs.

Adair was the first to be unleashed and after being kept out of the action on Ireland’s two-week tour of Namibia, he sent down eight overs with the new ball, and took the wicket of Matthew Campbell.

Three balls earlier, McDonough had taken his maiden first-class wicket, to a catch at slip by Stephen Doheny but it was to be the Wolves’ last wicket for 25 overs as Dion Myers and Kaitano, with 11 Tests and 88 first class matches between them – more than the Wolves side combined – added 80 for the third wicket.

Humphreys finally breached the defences of Myers and would follow up with the wickets of second top scorer Clive Madande and Tinotenda Maposa, the latter caught in the covers by Cade Carmichael who also ran out No 10 Shelton Mazvitorera, as Kaitano tried to keep the strike.

Hoey’s first wicket was Zimbabwe A captain Roy Kaia, who is playing his 107th first class game, and McDonough then took his second wicket, thanks to a smart diving catch by Ben Calitz.

But the day belonged to Kaitano, who dug in and proved to be the immovable object. He brought up his 50 from 115 balls and used up another 94 deliveries in reaching his fifth century, which he brought up with a towering straight six off Humphreys to go with eight other boundaries.

The three-figure lead, however, puts the Wolves in a powerful position going into the second half of the match and if they score at anything like the rate they did in the first innings, they should have plenty of time to force victory on the final day.