Gavin Hoey and Matthew Humphreys shared six wickets in Harare on Sunday as the Ireland Wolves beat both Zimbabwe A and the weather to start their tour with a very satisfactory 212-run victory in the first of two unofficial Test matches.

Set 470 to win, the home side had reached 241-6 when rain and lightning led to an extended delay during the afternoon but the Wolves were not to be denied and the Zimbabwe tail could only muster a further 16 runs against the spin duo when play resumed.

Skipper Humphreys and the Ireland coaching staff will be delighted not only with the win but also several of the performances that delivered it.

Not least the impressive centuries scored by Cade Carmichael and Tim Tector on Saturday — the pair’s fourth-wicket partnership of 224 was exactly what was required after too many of the top order had not cashed in after getting starts in the first innings.

The Wolves attack then had to find ways of taking wickets on a pitch that held up well, and doggedly worked their way through a competent, if not compelling, Zimbabwe line-up.

Hoey returned figures of 3-57 from 18 overs of leg-spin while Humphreys had the last word when Dion Myers was lbw for 97. The Ireland skipper finished with 3-64.