Windies win series against Zimbabwe
bulawayo — An obstinate stand of 91 between Regis Chakabva and Graeme Cremer secured Zimbabwe’s first draw in Test cricket since 2005, leaving the West Indies to settle for a 1-0 series victory.
The West Indies were on course to win the second Test on the final day when Sikandar Raza’s dismissal for 89 left Zimbabwe on 210 for seven, leading by just 88 runs with nearly 64 overs still left to play.
But Chakabva and Cremer combined in an unbroken stand for the eighth wicket that chewed up nearly 50 overs, leaving West Indies coach Stuart Law frustrated at the slow, placid nature of a Queens Sports Club pitch that permitted just 27 wickets in five days.
“I’d just like to see a more even contest between bat and ball,” said Law. “There are a lot of people saying that Test cricket is dying, and on a pitch like this it is.”
Both sides had an outside chance of forcing a result when Zimbabwe went into the final day on 140 for four in their second innings, leading by 18 runs.
But Zimbabwe’s hopes narrowed when they lost Peter Moor for 42 in the fourth over of the day, particularly with man of the match Raza tiring from his efforts.
The allrounder became just the second player after South Africa’s Jacques Kallis to score 80 or more runs in both innings of a Test and take a five-wicket haul, but was ultimately undone by a vicious inswinger from Jason Holder after lunch. Chakabva and Cremer fought back, but the latter en- joyed some fortune. Three times the West Indies had appeals against Cremer turned down by the umpires, only for replays to suggest the batsman should have been given out.
Having used up their two reviews, there was nothing the visitors could do about it.
“It costs a lot of money to set up the cameras and have the technology available to us, and to only be able to use it for two incorrect appeals, I think is ludicrous,” said Law. —