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WI v Zim : Day 1

Wednesday, November 5 2003

A very mediocre showing by the touring bowlers combined with resolute batting by Tatenda Taibu ensured that Zimbabwe finished the first day of the first Test against the West Indies in the driver's seat.

First up, Heath Streak won the toss and elected to bat first on a good wicket. The West Indies attack minus Dillon (who was excluded due to fitness problems) looked very ordinary and short of practice. Still, they managed to reduce Zimbabwe to 154/5 as the home side persisted to throw its wickets away with careless shots. Debutant Sibanda looked good in clipping Edwards square for four and the executing a beautiful drive through the covers the next ball. However, on the next offering he tried again and succeeding healthily nicking the ball to Jacobs, out for 18.

Vermeulen (8) came and went to a top edge off an awkard pull against Edwards. Just 23 runs later, Carlisle (8) departed to a drive at a wide ball that he edged to Lara at slip - 58/3. Gripper and Wishart played confidently to take their team in at lunch for 85/3. Gripper in particular looked in very good form.

Soon after lunch however, Gripper got himself out in much the same way that he saw Carlisle go, when he edged Taylor to Lara for 41. At this point, with the score at 112/4, it seemed as though Zimbabwe would be knocked over well within the day's play. Alas, this was not to be.

Craig Wishart played with little trouble to get to 47, before he edged first change part-timer Wavell Hinds to Jacobs. At the other end, Matsikenyeri played his shots with intent, impressing the small crowd at Harare to move to his maiden half century, on debut. However, it was his partner who would steal the thunder on the first day. Taibu batted with a mix of stokeplay and resolve as added 79 runs with Matsikenyeri before Edwards returned to dismiss the latter for 57 (8 fours; 1 six), his third wicket and the last West Indian success of the day.

Ultimately Taibu saw his team to the close with a fine unbeaten 75. His innings has thus far taken 155 balls and has included 8 fours. With him is captain Heath Streak on 16 and the two have an unbroken stand of 51 runs, and the score at 284/6. It is clear that Lara has some thinking to do ahead of tomorrow's play.

Jerome Taylor had to leave the field due to injury after bowling just 9.4 overs. Corey Collymore appears be less than one hundred percent and has laboured to get the ball consistently in the right place. Fidel Edwards was statistically the pick of the bowlers, with 3/73, but he has looked very much out of sorts as wily veteran, Vasbert Drakes proved the only sure thing for the West Indies as he stuck to his guns and bowled a good line and length for the most part.

Indeed, Lara used nine (9) bowlers on the day, including Gayle, Hinds, Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Ganga. With the way that Taibu has batted so far and the known prowess of his captain, the West Indies may face an uphill battle to dismiss Zimbabwe for a reasonable score tomorrow, but a couple of early wickets will certainly swing the match back their way.

MATCH SUMMARY
Toss: Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe 1st innings 284/6 (90 overs)
(Tatenda Taibu 75 not out, S Matsikenyeri 57, Craig Wishart 47, Trevor Gripper 41)
(Fidel Edwards 3/73, Wavell Hinds 1/30, Jerome Taylor 1/32)

Posted by Liam