The main consolation from Zimbabwe's five-wicket victory in the second one-day international at Castle Avenue yesterday was that the result could have been far more embarrassing for Ireland but for the virtuosity of Kyle McCallan with the bat and of Paul Mooney with the ball.

After Heath Streak had won the toss and put Ireland in to bat, the defiant McCallan kept his head and with it his wicket.

McCallan was the day's top-scorer with 65, which was struck off 119 balls and which included the only six of the match as well as three fours.

Mark Waugh and Peter Gillespie were the only others to reach double figures with modest knocks of 17 and 13, respectively.

Streak took two wickets for six runs off his five overs, while Paul Strang and Dirk Viljoen picked up a brace apiece, albeit rather more expensively. And a winning target of 122 runs hardly seemed to add up to mission impossible for Streak and his men.

Nor was it. But the whole-hearted Mooney at least raised Irish spirits with a fine opening spell when he removed Trevor Gripper, Andy Flower, Grant Flower and Paul Strang in rapid succession.

Mooney bowled with admirable pace and aggression and by lunch had taken four for nine off five overs, one of them a maiden, leaving Zimbabwe on 31 for four. His closing figures were excellent - four for 24 off his 10 overs - and he was Ireland's outstanding bowler on the day.

As on the previous day, this was no disgrace for Ireland; still, with next month's Triple Crown in Wales and European Championship in Scotland looming large, the frailty of the batting and sometimes indifferent fielding remain major concerns.