Taylor impresses as WI draw

HARARE: Jerome Taylor pressed his claim for a place in the West Indies 11 for the first cricket Test against Zimbabwe starting on Tuesday, by completing a ten-wicket match haul on the third and final day of the drawn warm-up match against Zimbabwe “A” yesterday. A devastating spell of reverse-swing bowling from Taylor carried West Indies to the brink of an unexpected victory over the Africans, but a gutsy rearguard action from Gavin Ewing took Zimbabwe  “A” to the safety of 247 for nine when stumps were drawn. Taylor ended with six wickets for 58 runs from 18 overs to finish with match figures of ten for 104 to enhance his chances of making the final 11 when the bell tolls for play on Tuesday morning. Set a highly improbable, if not impossible target of 506 to win, after West Indies declared at 343 for six in their second innings, Zimbabwe  “A” looked safe after they reached 33 for one at lunch and then 132 for two at the tea break.

Taylor had Craig Evans, who hit ten fours in the top score of 59 off 139 balls in three hours, bowled with the first ball after tea and that opened the floodgates. The teenaged fast-medium bowler then removed Stuart Matsikenyeri, Elton Chigumbura, Travis Friend and Alester Maregwede and Vasbert Drakes added Barney Rogers for 45 to see Zimbabwe “A” crash from 138 for three to 191 for eight. Ewing, with much to prove to the Zimbabwe selectors after he was omitted from the Zimbabwe squad for the First Test, and Blessing Mahwire showed great determination to add 50 for the ninth wicket as the West Indies ran out of steam. Drakes had Mahwire caught at slip by substitute Brian Lara to leave Ravi Rampaul with the final over to knock out either Ewing or Jordane Nicolle. But it was not to be. Earlier, West Indies batted until the first drinks break of the day for Marlon Samuels to be the last West Indies batsman dismissed for 147 from 146 balls in just under three hours. Overnight 246 for five, West Indies profitted from a 186-run sixth wicket stand between Samuels and Daren Ganga, who must have cemented his place by following up his first innings century with 69 off 98 balls with 11 fours in two hours.