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Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
WEST Indies openers, Kraigg Brathwaite as well as Tagenarine Chanderpaul both notched up hundreds against an ineffective Zimbabwean bowling attack as the visitors continued their dominance with the bat as they finished on 221 runs for no loss in 89 overs on day two of the first Test cricket match at Queens Sports Club yesterday.
Because of a wet outfield, play started after tea of the second day with the Windies on 112/0 in 51 overs with both batsmen on 55 runs after rain disrupted play on the opening day. Only 38 overs were played yesterday. Brathwaite and Chanderpaul converted their fifties from the first day to centuries in the second. The skipper finished on 116 runs from 246 deliveries and his opening partner had 101 off 291 balls in what was a fine display of pure Test cricket by the two openers.
Brathwaite scored his 12th Test ton while Chanderpaul notched up his maiden five day hundred in his third match. It was the first time that West Indies openers have both scored centuries in the same innings.
The pair’s 221 runs partnership also made the highest partnership for the Windies in Test cricket against Zimbabwe for any wicket.
After bowling for one day and a half without taking any wickets, Zimbabwe’s left arm spinner Wellington Masakadza, who has bowled 16 overs and conceded 30 runs with six maidens is confident that the Chevrons will manage to notch up some scalps as they go into day three which usually has something for bowlers.
“It’s obviously tough to bowl first but I think as the match progresses there definitely may be something and we hope tomorrow we come out and get something out of it (wicket),” said Masakadza in the post day press conference.
Masakadza agrees with the bowling coach, Steve Kirby that they have bowled well in the two days but have been unlucky not to have picked up wickets and said they will keep going and not throw in the towel.
Zimbabwe will be hoping to get the much needed wicket and break the partnership that seems to have settled really well in the middle. A sunny day is projected today and promises to have a full day’s play without any interruptions.
Meanwhile in the 2022/23 Logan Cup season matches being played in Harare, rain disturbed the match between Tuskers and Mountaineers, with the latter batting on 221-6, trailing by 73 runs in the first innings after the Bulawayo based side were bowled out for 294 courtesy of a Clive Madande unbeaten century. The match is being played at Harare Sports Club.
In the other match, Southern Rocks ended their second innings on day three on 92-4 behind Eagles by 22 runs. In the first innings, Rocks were bowled out 114 runs after Eagles had scored 228 all out.
Only two half centuries have been scored in the match coming from Eagles duo of Larvet Musunda and Tadiwanashe Marumani who scored 76 and 73 runs respectively. — @brandon_malvin
Online Reporter