West Indies batsman Brian Lara cuts a delivery past Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu during his 191 run innings on the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo yesterday. - Reuters BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, CMC:
BRIAN LARA might have had the delight of becoming West Indies' highest Test run scorer in scoring his 22nd Test hundred, but an unbroken fourth wicket stand brought Zimbabwe back into the second and final Test yesterday.
Lara was dismissed nine short of a sixth Test double hundred in the West Indies' first innings total of 481, only to watch his bowlers lose the plot as Craig Wishart and Mark Vermeulen added 142 to help Zimbabwe recover to 173 for three when stumps were drawn on the second day at the Queens Sports Club.
Wishart and Vermeulen were brought together after Fidel Edwards, with two wickets for 32 runs in 11 overs, and Mervyn Dillon, with one for 20 from 15, sent back Vusimuzi Sibanda, Trevor Gripper and Stuart Carlisle to leave Zimbabwe 31 for two.
The Zimbabwe fourth wicket pair stemmed the fall of wickets with some circumspect batting and towards the end of the day were dismissing the bowling with the same aplomb that Lara had demonstrated during his innings.
LARA IN COMMAND
Lara, the West Indies captain, playing in his 98th Test, was commanding during his 4 3/4 hour stay at the crease during which time he faced 203 balls to hit 23 fours and four sixes.
Before he was caught at slip off Andy Blignaut in the first over after lunch, Lara carried his tally of Test runs to 8,625, overtaking former West Indies captain Sir Vivian Richards, the current chairman of the West Indies selection panel, who has 8,540, and placing him seventh on the list of Test batsmen worldwide.
Lara and West Indies vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan batted through the first half of the morning period, elongated to compensate for time lost to rain the previous afternoon, after the visitors resumed from their bedtime score of 282 for three.
They had carried their fourth-wicket partnership to 190 when Sarwan was caught at silly point for 65 to become the third of Raymond Price's five wickets for 199 runs from 43 overs. Sarwan batted 2 1/2 hours, faced 112 balls and struck nine fours.
Price, however, was fortuitous when umpire Rudi Koertzen dubiously adjudged Shivnarine Chanderpaul caught at slip for 15. Television replays suggested the ball had come off the pad.
This period proved to be a purple patch for Zimbabawe as captain Heath Streak, armed with the second new ball, had Ridley Jacobs caught at second slip for one and Andy Blignaut gained a questionable lbw verdict over Omari Banks to a ball moving back, but seem to be heading down the leg-side. Banks made three.
West Indies reached 449 for seven at lunch with Lara holding the innings together like only he can. With the second ball after lunch however, Blignaut made him the third of his four wickets for 86 run from 20 overs.
The end would soon come with West Indies losing their last three wickets for 32 in 8.4 overs.
SIBANDA WENT CHEAPLY
Edwards held a return catch to send Sibanda packing for two off the 11th ball of the Zimbabwe innings. Three overs later, Gripper was bowled for one by Dillon after he had been rattled by a beamer from Edwards the previous over.
When Edwards bowled Carlisle for 11, West Indies might have figured they would make deep inroads into the Zimbabwe batting. Wishart and Vermeulen, who called for a runner before tea after being struck on the knee by Dillon, had other ideas.
After taking Zimbabwe to tea at 45 for three, they gradually seized control of the West Indies bowling by mixing sound defence with measured aggression and will have visions of substantial scores on the third.
The first Test of the series at Harare ended in a nailbiting draw when West Indies, set 373 to win, were nine wickets down and had to rely on their last pair of Ridley Jacobs and Fidel Edwards to bat through the last 12 overs to carry them to safety.
