adminHEAVY rain brought an early close to the second day’s play in Bulawayo, but not before West Indies had put Zimbabwe under pressure with a 175-run first-innings lead.
Roston Chase hit 70 and Joshua Da Silva got a patient 44, capitalising on Raymon Reifer’s half-century from the first evening.
Play didn’t resume after what was the second rain interruption of the day at 4.45pm, barely 35 minutes following a restart after bad weather had first halted the match for two-and-a-half hours.
But, until then, Chase and Da Silva’s 85-run partnership for the sixth wicket had ensured the visitors ended the day well ahead of the hosts’ total of 115.
Only 49 overs and four balls were possible on the second day which had begun with overnight batters Chase and Kyle Mayers at the crease, as Zimbabwe started with Victor Nyauchi’s pace and Brandon Mavuta’s legspin.
The ball turned and often stopped on the slow surface for Mavuta, who invited Mayers into driving and slashing by pitching the ball into the rough from around the wicket.
And, as Mavuta kept it relatively tight, he was rewarded with Mayers’ wicket when the batter found midwicket while swiping at a full toss angled in and dipping on him. Soon after, Zimbabwe replaced Mavuta with the left-arm spin of Wellington Masakadza against right-handers Chase and Da Silva, but both batters found the occasional boundary off him, while also keeping the scoreboard ticking.
Chase brought up his 11th Test fifty to start the 68th over, as he pushed Masakadza to the off side.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter