ZIMBABWE bowled themselves to a strong position on the first day of their first Test against touring West Indies at Queens Sports Club here yesterday.
BY KEVIN MAPASURE IN BULAWAYO
West Indies were bowled out for 219 in 82.5 overs as Zimbabwe spun well to take the initiative, but Shai Hope remained undefeated on 90, which featured seven boundaries and one maximum, after facing 201 balls.
Kieran Powell made a half century while Roston Chase could not kick on after getting the start with 31 runs for the visitors.
Zimbabwe negotiated the five overs they faced without any incident ending on 19 for no loss, 200 shy of the West Indies total, with debutant Solomon Mire scoring 17 while Hamilton Masakadza was still to get off the mark.
This all after the visitors had won the toss and elected to bat beneath a cloudy sky with rains having pounded Bulawayo the previous night.
Captain Graeme Cremer took four wickets, Sean Williams claimed three scalps while Solomon Mire, Sikandar Raza and Kyle Jarvis shared one each.
Cremer bowled 23.5 overs at the expense of 64 runs, while in his 13 overs Williams conceded 20 runs as he caused problems for the tourists.
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Zimbabwe were applying the pressure early on, with Chris Mpofu proving difficult to score runs off at the other end.
With 21 runs having been added, debutant Solomon Mire got in among the wickets, removing Kyle Hope (16), a wicket that was only confirmed after review.
The tourists settled in and survived till lunch with Powell and Shai Hope in the middle but Zimbabwe were to get more success in the second session with skipper Cremer reducing the tourists by taking out half centurion Powell (56) after combining with Craig Ervine who took the catch.
West Indies survived the fall of a fourth wicket towards tea following an investigation by DRS after he had been given out off the bowling of Raza.
At tea West Indies were on 154-3 with Shai Hope on 56 while Roston Chase had made 20.
Raza was not going to be denied his wicket and this time there was no question of Chase’s inside edge as Ervine took the catch with the score moving to 174-4.
Chase and Shai Hope had combined for 64 for the fourth wicket. Only five runs had been added and Jermaine Blackwood was walking back to the pavilion after a good stumping by an alert Chakabva off the bowling of Cremer.
Things got even better for Zimbabwe with two more wickets as Shane Dowrich was dismissed by Sean Williams who also trapped captain Jason Holder for just eight.
Shai Hope was holding things together for the visitors but he kept losing partners and this time Williams found the edge of Devendra Bishoo (0) to leave West Indies on 218 for 8.
Not long after, Zimbabwe were looking to wrap up the West Indies accumulation as Kemar Roach departed without scoring.
A ball later West Indies were done after Ervine claimed his fourth catch as Cremer took his fourth wicket, with Shannon Gabriel also going without scoring.
Teams: Zimbabwe: S Mire, H Masakadza, B Taylor, C Ervine, S Williams, S Raza, M Waller, R Chakabva, G Cremer, C Mpofu, K Jarvis. West Indies: K Brathwaite, K Powell, K Hope, S Hope, R Chase, J Blackwood, S Dowrich, J Holder, D Bishoo, K Roach, S Gabriel.
