Williams shines again!

THE first day of Test cricket in Sylhet will be remembered for Sean Williams’ fine 88, which frustrated the Bangladesh spinners.

Zimbabwe ended the day on 236 for five, and possibly feeling happier than the home side.

PJ Moor and Regis Chakabva, batting on 37 and 20 respectively, played out the last hour without further damage after Williams fell on the brink of the final drinks break.

Williams, who struck nine fours in his 173-ball stay, was involved in two partnerships that promised much before ending in the 30s, with Hamilton Masakadza and Sikandar Raza.

The loss of those two batsmen in the second session left Zimbabwe at an uncertain 129 for 4; their best period

Third placed Chicken Inn are now four points clear of fourth placed Triangle after drawing 1-1 against Black Rhinos at Luveve yesterday. Yadah FC 0-0 Bulawayo City ZPC Kariba 2-0 Chapungu Chicken Inn 1-1 Black Rhinos Nichrut 0-2 Herentals

Dynamos vs Triangle (Rufaro Stadium) Mutare City vs Caps United (Vhengere Stadium) Highlanders vs Harare City (Barbourfields) Ngezi Platinum vs Bulawayo Chiefs FC Platinum vs Shabanie Mine P WD L F A GD 31 22 5 4 50 14 36 31 19 5 7 48 22 26 32 16 10 7 41 25 16 31 16 3 12 38 30 8 32 12 11 9 24 24 0 31 10 16 5 27 23 4 31 11 11 9 32 26 6 31 12 8 11 29 28 1 32 12 11 9 28 26 2 32 10 13 9 36 30 6 31 10 10 11 26 32 -6 32 9 12 11 32 39 -7 31 9 11 11 27 30 -3 32 9 10 13 27 34 -7 32 8 9 15 28 36 -8 32 7 5 20 27 42 -15 31 5 7 19 22 50 -28 31 2 13 16 24 55 -31 Team FC Platinum Ngezi Platinum Chicken Inn Triangle United Herentals Harare City Caps United Highlanders *ZPC Kariba Black Rhinos Dynamos Yadah FC Stars Bulwayo Chiefs Chapungu Nichrut Bulawayo City Mutare City Shabanie Mine PTS 71 65 55 51 47 46 44 44 44 43 40 39 38 37 33 26 22 19 came after that.

Zimbabwe only added 64 in the middle session, in 31 overs, as they slowed down after Raza’s dismissal for 19.

At one stage, Williams and Moor played out six successive maidens from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nazmul Islam.

But they hung on, and their partnership grew in confidence, and grew to 72, after the tea break.

Moor’s cover-driven boundary off Taijul Islam, in the second over after tea, injected life into the innings, and Williams struck the same bowler for successive fours through point and midwicket in his next over.

Williams’ dismissal came against the run of play, when Mahmudullah brought himself on and found some