Zimbabwe v West Indies: Tourists claim comfortable win in first Test

19:49 · TUE October 24, 2017

The West Indies beat Zimbabwe by 117 runs with a day to spare in the first Test in Bulawayo.

First Test (Bulawayo)

Result - West Indies beat Zimbabwe by 117 runs

West Indies 1st inns: 219 all out (Hope 90, Powell 56; Cremer 4-64, Williams 3-20)

West Indies 2nd inns: 373 all out (Chase 95, Brathwaite 86, Bishoo 44; Cremer 4-114, Williams 3-91)

Zimbabwe 1st inns: 159 all out (Masakada 42, Ervine 39, Mire 27; Bishoo 5-79, Roach 2-23, Holder 2-25)

Zimbabwe 2nd inns: 316 all out (Taylor 73, Mazakadza 57, Mire 47; Bishoo 4-105, Chase 2-61)

Day four report

West Indies beat Zimbabwe by 117 runs with a day to spare in the first Test in Bulawayo.

Zimbabwe, set an unlikely world record fourth-innings chase with virtually two full days remaining, were all out for 316 in their second innings after starting 433 runs behind.

West Indies leg spinner Devendra Bishoo finished with four for 105 to make it nine wickets for the match, while Zimbabwe lost their last six wickets for 97 runs having made a solid start.

Openers Hamilton Masakadza (57) and Solomon Mire (47) fell one run short of a century partnership and Brendan Taylor (73) helped take Zimbabwe to 219 for four.

But after Bishoo dismissed Sikandar Raza for 30, Zimbabwe lost their way. Taylor was run out by Kraigg Brathwaite to leave the hosts 253 for eight and Christopher Mpofu's 53-run partnership with Kyle Jarvis for the last wicket was in vain.

West Indies had resumed their second innings earlier in the day on 369 for eight, but Roston Chase added only four runs to his overnight 91 and the tourists were all out for 373.

The second Test is scheduled to start on Sunday at the same Queens Sports Club venue in Bulawayo.

Day three report

Kraigg Brathwaite and Roston Chase batted the West Indies into a dominant position on day three of the first Test against Zimbabwe.

Brathwaite ground out 86 at the head of the innings, with Chase dashing his way to 91 not out as the tourists piled on a 429-run lead in Bulawayo.

The Windies resumed their second innings on 88 for one and reached stumps on 369 for eight, with the two centre-piece innings burnished by 40s from Kyle and Shai Hope and tail-ender Devendra Bishoo.

Zimbabwe already require a world record fourth-innings chase with two full days remaining but that number looks set to rise as Chase eyes his fourth Test century on the fourth morning.

Spinners Graeme Cremer and Sean Williams have twirled through a combined 55.3 overs in the innings to date, taking three and two wickets respectively.

Day two report

West Indies took command of a low-scoring first Test against Zimbabwe after dismissing the home side for just 159 in Bulawayo and they are now 1/6 favourites with Sky Bet to win the match, while the hosts are 5/1 and the draw 20s.

On a spin-friendly pitch at Queens Sports Club, Devendra Bishoo recovered from seeing his first ball hit for six to claim five for 79 from 24 overs to help his side claim a 60-run first-innings lead.

Opener Hamilton Masakadza top-scored for Zimbabwe with 42 and Craig Ervine made 39, but the hosts crucially lost their last six wickets for just 49 runs.

Kieran Powell, who made 56 in the first innings, could only manage 17 the second time around before being bowled by Graeme Cremer, but Kraigg Brathwaite (38 not out) and Kyle Hope (32 not out) took the tourists to 88 for one at stumps on day two, a lead of 148.

Day one report

Zimbabwe enjoyed a superb opening day of the first Test against the West Indies, dismissing the tourists for just 219 in Bulawayo and are now 8/11 for victory with Sky Bet.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, the Windies recovered from losing two early wickets to reach 154 for three at tea as Kieran Powell made 56 and Shai Hope reached the interval on the same score.

But, although Hope went on to make 90 not out, his team-mates crumbled around him in the final session as Zimbabwe's spinners took the seven remaining wickets on a turning pitch.

Captain Graeme Cremer ended with figures of four for 64 and then saw his openers reach 19 without loss at stumps to trail by 200 - the West Indies can be backed 11/8 with a draw trading at 10/1.