BULAWAYO, 16 November 2003 — Zimbabwe, chasing 233 for victory, stumbled to 90 for nine before bad light stopped play 12 overs early on the fourth day of the second and final Test against West Indies yesterday.
Earlier, left-arm spinner Ray Price claimed his 19th wicket of the series as the tourists collapsed to 128 all out in their second innings, giving Zimbabwe real hopes of victory.
But the home side subsided to the off spin of Omari Banks who took three for 35 in 15 overs.
In all, 18 wickets fell on a day of poor batting on a deteriorating surface and the West Indies are on the verge of winning the series after the first Test in Harare was drawn.
They resumed their second innings on 13 for one and lost nine wickets for 115 runs to be dismissed 18 overs after lunch.
Brian Lara, who made 191 in the first innings, was out for one, bowled by a Heath Streak inswinging yorker.
Opener Wavell Hinds topscored with 28 after two hours at the crease before becoming another victim of Price who ended the innings with four for 36 off 21 overs.
Merv Dillon stroked 27 not out but the end came when Fidel Edwards was bowled by all-rounder Andy Blignaut without scoring.
Zimbabwe’s run chase got off to a poor start when Vusi Sibanda edged the fourth ball of the innings, bowled by Dillon, to Lara at first slip without a run on the board.
Mark Vermeulen, who scored 118 in the first innings, played on to Hinds to be bowled for 24 and after that the writing was on the wall with the home side crashing to 75 for nine.
Streak (not out 19) and Blessing Mahwire (not out four) delayed the inevitable but the West Indies may count themselves lucky to emerge as series winners after having to cling on desperately for a draw in the first Test. Banks said of this Test: “We came here expecting to play five days of hard cricket and it would have been nice to finish off the opposition today, but that’s cricket.
