Windies in control against Zim
Zimbabwe, 326 & 140/4 (67 ov) lead West Indies, 448, by 18 runs with six wickets remaining
WEST Indies took a firm grip of the second cricket Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club with a superb all-round performance on the penultimate day which left the hosts facing an uphill task to avoid a series whitewash.
After the Windies took a 122-run first innings lead courtesy of centuries by overnight batsman Jason Holder a (110) and Shane Dowrich (103), Zimbabwe slipped to eight for two at lunch and 66 for four at tea before crawling to stumps on 140 for four and a lead of just 18 runs.
Sikandar Raza yet again led Zimbabwe’s fight back in last session as he followed up his half century and five wicket haul in the first innings with his second half ton of the match, becoming the first Zimbabwean players to achieve the feat in Test cricket.
The fiery all-rounder, who was unbeaten on 58 was joined at the middle at stumps by PJ Moor (39), who will be also be hoping to continue his good form with the bat after scoring a half century in the first innings.
However before the pair’s fifth wicket partnership stand of 94, it looked as if the West Indies would for the second time in the series wrap up the contest with a match to spare after cutting through the Zimbabwe top order like a hot knife through butter.
Although the pitch was expected to be more conducive to spin, it was seamer Kemar Roach who had Zimbabwe on the ropes striking two big blows before lunch to leave them reeling at eight for two and trailing by 114 runs.
A pumped up Roach first clean bowled Hamilton Masakadza (5), who misjudged his in swinger, before returning to trapping Solomon Mire lbw for a 10-ball duck in his very next over.
The duo of Craig Ervine (22) and Brendan Taylor (10) looked to rebuild the Zimbabwe innings with a third wicket partnership stand of 23 but they were both dismissed in quick succession, leaving the hosts reeling at 46 for four and needing 76 more runs just to make the Windies bat again.
Ervine was clean bowled playing across the line of Bishoo’s leg break delivery while Taylor, was trapped lbw by Gabriel.
Zimbabwe, who had spent 178,2 overs in the field — a Queens Sports Club record — will, however, have been ruing their missed opportunities in the field which allowed the West Indies to recover from 230 for seven to 448.
Holder, continued to live a charmed life after being dropped by Chakabva 78 off Graeme Cremer and Zimbabwe was made to rue the missed opportunity as he went on to reach 110 in an innings that included nine fours and two sixes.
Dowrich (103) also completed his maiden Test century which included 10 fours and a six.
Debutant offspinner Tendai Chisoro, who had been denied his first wicket in Test cricket to a dropped catch by Chakabva on the third day, finally got his reward after more than 30 overs of tight bowling.
The former Prince Edward student removed both centurions and then the last man Roach to finish with a handy three wickets to complement Raza’s maiden fiver.
Teams:
Zimbabwe: Solomon Mire, Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine, Peter Moor, Sikandar Raza, Malcolm Waller, Regis Chakabva (wk), Graeme Cremer (capt), Tendai Chisoro, Chris Mpofu
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Kyle Hope, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich (wk), Jason Holder (capt), Devendra Bishoo, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
