There’s life in the old dog yet!
Test cricket has been sacrificed to the white-ball game and its mass appeal belongs to days of yore.
But there’s still room for the five-day format with its entrancing ebbs and flows on full show as Ireland’s encounter against Zimbabwe came to a dramatic conclusion on Sunday.
It was the first Test match in Northern Ireland with the small but enchanting Stormont ground the venue in Belfast.
No stands here, just spectators lining a boundary enclosed on one side by trees in full summer majesty while an assortment of food vans and a bouncy castle occupied the other.
Inclement weather makes Tests in Ireland a risky proposition and while there were rain delays the game was blessed with spells of sunshine on all four days.
And with a pristine playing surface the stage was set for two teams who rarely venture into the Test arena.
This was just a second Test on home soil for Ireland since their debut in 2018 while it was a 17-month wait for the Chevrons.
Tests can often create their own character and this one followed a similar pattern throughout.
The morning session belonged to the batters before the wickets tumbled as the bowlers hit back in the afternoon.
