Chronicle Editor
Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWEAN batsmen put up a dismal performance in the second Test against West Indies at Queens Sports Club as the visitors wiped them out in three days yesterday, with the Caribbean side triumphant by an innings and four runs to win the two-match series 1-0.
Only three Zimbabwean batters managed to cross double figures. Zimbabwe, who made 115 runs in the first innings were bowled out for 173 runs in the second innings after the Windies had posted 292 in their first innings.
Captain Craig Ervine top scored with 72 runs whilst Innocent Kaia fell seven runs short of his half century on 43 runs. Brandon Mavuta scored 16 runs to be the only Zimbabweans to record double figures.
Other batters, like Chamunorwa Chibhabha, who was recalled to the national team, once again failed to justify his call up to the side after he scored two runs in the second innings to complement his 10 runs from the first innings, a pathetic display by such an experienced player.
Tanunurwa Makoni scored just one run after the duck he was dismissed for in the first innings, Milton Shumba followed his seven runs in the first with three runs in the second innings while Tafadzwa Tsiga fell for two runs in the second innings after he made a duck in the first.
Zimbabwean batters looked clueless against the Windies bowlers.
At the start of yesterday’s play fast bowler Victor Nyauchi took two early wickets to get his maiden Test five wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5/56 in 17.3 overs as he helped round up West Indies’ innings.
Left arm spinner Gudakesh Motie was once again lethal with the ball for the Caribbean side, picking up another five-wicket haul as he finished with figures of 6/62 in 17.3 overs to hand West Indies victory. He finished with match figures of 13/99 which became the best numbers by a West Indies spinner in history.
Zimbabwe had a terrible opening day of the match after Gudakesh Motie had put the Windies in firm control with an excellent bowling display on Sunday. Motie recorded figures of 7/37 in 14.5 overs, his best in this format of the game to wipe out Zimbabwe for 115 runs in 40.5 overs.
Zimbabwe suffered a huge blow when Gary Ballance, scorer of an unbeaten 137 in his debut appearance for the country of his birth, was withdrawn because of a migraine headache, his place in the playing 11 taken by Shumba.
It took West Indies a little bit over lunch to bowl out Zimbabwe as Motie registered his best bowling figures in Test cricket and took control of the proceedings early on.
Rain interrupted the match on day two which saw the day’s play being brought to a premature end.
When play eventually resumed, it was just a matter of time before Zimbabwe lost as not much was expected from them batting wise looking at the way they batted in the first innings.
Ervine said they are disappointed to have lost the match but they already felt it was going to be a short game because of how the wicket played out.
Next up for Zimbabwe is a white ball series against Netherlands set to be played next month in the capital. — @brandon_malvin.
Online Reporter