Chronicle Editor
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
Zimbabwe 326 (Masakadza 147, Raza 80, Moor 52, Roach 3/44) and 140-4 61 overs (Raza 58*, Moor 39*, Roach 2/14) lead West Indies 448 (Holder 110, Dowrich 103, Powell 90, Raza 5/99, Chisoro 3/113) by 18 runs
FOR the second day in a row, Sikandar Raza stole the limelight and this time with his batting, scoring a patient unbeaten half century to help Zimbabwe take a slender lead going into the penultimate day of the second cricket Test against West Indies at Queens Sports Club yesterday.
Raza scored 58 off 137 deliveries, putting on an unbroken 94 runs for the fifth-wicket stand with Peter Moor, who was 39 not out in Zimbabwe’s second innings of 140 for four off 67 overs at stumps. The home team leads by 18 runs with six wickets in hand.
West Indies, steered by skipper Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich’s centuries, scored 448 in 178.2 overs to take a first innings lead of 122 runs in their first innings.
Holder struck his second century in Test cricket, top scoring with 110, his highest score in the longer version of the game, while wicketkeeper Dowrich scored 103, which ws also his maiden hundred in a record breaking 212 eighth-wicket partnership.
The last time number eight and nine batsmen scored centuries in the same innings in a Test cricket was in 1908.
Zimbabwe coach, Heath Streak felt that with a minimum of 92 overs left in the game, it is still a long way to go before they can set a reasonable target for West Indies to chase and give the hosts an opportunity win the match.
“It’s still a long way to go; 92 overs in the game, it’s slow going out there. It’s not an easy wicket to score quickly on. We’ve got to get through a session and get ourselves into a position where we can maybe consider giving them a target. It’s very tough, especially with the deficit that we have had to make up and the wicket is scoring so slowly,” said Streak.
With Zimbabwe having gone into the second Test with one recognised front line seamer, Christopher Mpofu, the bowling attack will be further diminished in West Indies’ second innings.
Streak confirmed that Solomon Mire, whom he described as a reluctant bowler, is struggling with a niggling injury. This means the slow bowlers have a massive role to play if Zimbabwe fancy recording their first ever victory over West Indies in Test cricket.
Poor fielding by Zimbabwe saw Holder dropped on 78 in the sixth over of the day; captain Graeme Cremer forcing his counterpart into an edge only for wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva to put down the catch.
The Windies captain got to his second Test hundred with a boundary off left-arm spinner Tendai Chisoro after facing 187 balls, with nine fours and one six.
Dowrich also reached triple figures, getting there by smashing Cremer for a six for his maiden Test hundred in 225 balls, putting away 10 fours and one six.
Chisoro finally picked up his maiden Test wicket when he trapped Dowrich lbw to break the wicketkeeper’s stand with Holder. In his very next over, Chisoro picked up his second wicket when he bowled Holder round his legs. The left-arm spinner had his third wicket, getting Roach for an 18-ball duck.
Zimbabwe were in all sorts of trouble in their second innings, with both openers dismissed 25 minutes before lunch that they had taken to the crease.
Hamilton Masakadza was the first to depart after misjudging Roach’s excellent delivery to be bowled for five. Mire followed shortly, trapped lbw for a 10-ball duck.
Brendan Taylor survived some anxious moments until Shannon Gabriel put him out of his misery, trapping him lbw for 10.
Just as Zimbabwe were looking to build a partnership, leg spinner Devendra Bishoo was introduced in the 23rd over and struck with the second delivery, clean bowling Craig Ervine for 22.
An unbroken fifth-wicket stand between Raza and Moor ensured Zimbabwe did not suffer any further losses.
With the two still at the crease heading into the last day, the home side will look to build a substantial lead to give West Indies a competitive target to chase.
@Mdawini_29
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