SHILLINGFORD SPINSWEST INDIES TO NINE-WICKETWIN
Shane Shillingford destroyed an inept Zimbabwe batting line-up to set the West Indies on the way to a comprehensive nine-wicket win inside three days in the first Test on Thursday
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, March 14, 2013 (AFP) - Shane Shillingford destroyed an inept Zimbabwe batting line-up to set the West Indies on the way to a comprehensive ninewicket win inside three days in the first Test on Thursday.
Picking up from where he left off the previous evening when he took two wickets in two overs, the tall off-spinner added four more victims to finish with innings figures of six for 49 -- and a match analysis of nine for 107 -- as the visitors were routed for 107 in their second innings just before the interval.
Left with the academic task of scoring 12 runs for victory, debutant seamer Tendai Chatara claimed the wicket of Kieran Powell to a catch at gully, delaying the formality of victory until after the break when Chris Gayle hit the winning runs. Following 2-0 series triumphs at home to New Zealand last July/August and in Bangladesh last November, this result gave the West Indies five consecutive Test wins for the first time since the all-powerful squad led by Viv Richards completed the feat in 1988. They will now be heavily favoured to make it six in a row at the ex- pense of a Zimbabwean side woefully short of international exposure at this level.
Shillingford, who was named man of the match, wasted no time at the start of the third day, having struggling captain Brendan Taylor caught at shortleg for six in the first over.