When Gavin Hoey went to the middle on Thursday afternoon, the scoreboard at the Harare Sports Club showed 221 for six. When he returned to the dressing rooms on day 2 of Ireland Wolves game against Zimbabwe A, the tourists were 514 for nine and Hoey had scored 144.

 

It is the highest score by an Ireland player batting at No 8 and more than made up for the top seven batters who had failed to reach 60, despite five of the them getting past 30.

 

He only got to that score because of Matthew Humphreys who hit his career best score of 81 and shared an eighth wicket stand of 154 as the Wolves took control of the game and all but clinched the two-match unofficial Test series, with two days to spare.

 

There was still no declaration at the fall of Hoey’s wicket and Reuben Wilson and Matthew Hollard added another 37 runs to prolong the innings to a marathon 146 overs – the last four wickets used up 83 of them, albeit in friendlier batting conditions on Friday.

 

Zimbabwe A proved that with their response, the opening partnership putting on 79 before Reuben Wilson made the breakthrough immediately after the drinks interval. Two overs later he bowled Dion Myers, the hosts’ leading scorer in the first match, and the paceman made it three wickets in 18 balls thanks to a loose shot outside his off stump by Tanunurwa Makon, shortly after the opener has brought up his 50.

 

Wilson thought he had a stonewall fourth, in his next over, when he rapped the pads of Kia, but the Zimbabwe umpire was unmoved.

 

 At the close, Zimbabwe A were 127 for three, still needing 275 to avoid the follow-on.

 

But the day will always be remembered for and by Hoey. He threatened to pass his previous highest first-class score of 87 in the first ‘Test’ last week, but was out for 78. This time the 25-year-old Dubliner made no mistake, going to 88 with a single off the Zimbabwe A skipper, Roy Kia, and then bringing up his maiden century with a flick to fine leg off Shelton Mazvitorera, his eighth four, from 148 balls.

 

He then enjoyed himself taking just 39 balls over his next 42 runs and adding three more sixes to the one he had hit in his century. He finally holed out to cover after batting for six minutes shy of five hours.

 

Humphreys’ contribution, though, cannot be overlooked. In his first 11 first class games, consisting of 16 innings, he had scored only 135 runs with a top score of 27 not out. He was unbeaten on 26 overnight and scored 55 runs in the morning session when he and Hoey added 96.

 

However, the captain failed to survive his second ball after lunch – yet another batter undone by losing concentration after a break - missing a sweep against off spinner Matthew Campbell, his 81 coming off exactly 150 balls and including just four boundaries, all in his first half-century. But the partnership was invaluable.

 

The only surprise of the day was that Hoey did not take a wicket in his four overs (for 12 runs) at the end but he will look forward to bowling on day three – although maybe not with the same joy as scoring his maiden first-class century.