Gudakesh Motie took four wickets and Roston Chase two as the West Indies pushed for victory but Zimbabwe held on for a draw in the first Test in Bulawayo on Wednesday.
Chasing an improbable 272 for victory, Zimbabwe closed on 134-6, still 138 runs away but with only four second-innings wickets remaining.
West Indies had resumed on 21-0 with the West Indies Captain Kriagg Brathwaite on 11 and Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 10. The pair would add only another 11 runs before Brad Evans broke the partnership bowling Chanderpaul for 15.
Brathwaite was trapped lbw by Wellington Masakadza for 25 which brought Reifer and Blackwood together. Together they mounted a stand of 107 that was broken when Masakadza held onto a return catch off his own bowling to dismiss Reifer for 58.
He picked up his fourth wicket of the match when he had Blackwood caught behind for 57 to end with figures of 3-71.
Evans picked up his second wicket when he had Roston Chase caught behind for 14 after which Kyle Mayers and Joshua Da Silva added another 23 runs before the declaration came.
Mayers remained unbeaten on 17 and Da Silva, nine.
Evans took 2-41.
Zimbabwe lost an early wicket when Motie got Tanunurwa Makoni for nine with the score at 14 but Innocent Kaia and Chamu Chibhabha resisted sternly taking the score to 61 when Kaia got out caught by Brathwaite off Motie’s bowling for 24.
Chase dismissed Chibhabha for 31 with the score at 83 and shortly after Motie claimed Craig Irvine for 17 with no addition to the score as Zimbabwe slipped to 83-4.
Zimbabwe now required another rescue act from first innings century maker Gary Ballance. However, Ballance had made only 18 when Chase had him caught behind to have Zimbabwe in trouble at 119-5. It was soon 120-6 when Motie trapped Brad Evans for a duck.
However, Tafadzwa Tsiga, resisted the West Indies surge for 83 balls to remain 24 not out at the end while Wellington Masakadza, faced 36 balls without scoring as time ran out for the West Indies.
For his unbeaten 207, Chanderpaul was named Player of the Match.
IPL: Gaikwad inspires CSK to emphatic victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad
Ruturaj Gaikwad inspired Chennai Super Kings to a 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
CSK lost by six wickets to Lucknow Super Giants in their last outing, but they bounced back in emphatic fashion on Sunday.
Captain Gaikwad was in rampant form, plundering 98 runs from 54 balls, a knock that included 10 fours and three sixes, while Daryl Mitchell added a useful 52.
Tushar Deshpande subsequently picked up the mantle with the ball, taking 4-27, including dismissing Hyderabad's top three - Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh.
Aiden Markram offered some resistance with a 26-ball 32, but once skipper Pat Cummins also fell to Deshpande, the game was all but up.
Jaydev Unadkat was the final one to tumble, as Hyderabad were bowled out for 134 and saw CSK move above them into third in the standings.
Data Debrief: Gaikwad on Kohli's heels
With 447 runs across nine innings, Gaikwad is now second on the list of leading run scorers in the IPL this season, behind only the great Virat Kohli (500).
Gaikward, though, has the better strike-rate at 149.49, while he is averaging 63.86.
Hayley Matthews leads from the front as West Indies Women take 2-0 lead over Pakistan Women with seven-wicket victory at Karachi
In yet another stunning performance, West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews led her team to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan Women, securing a 2-0 lead in their five-match T20 series in Karachi on Sunday.
Matthews showcased her all-round prowess by first starring with the ball, taking an impressive 3 wickets for just 25 runs to restrict Pakistan Women to 121-7 in their allotted 20 overs. Despite a resilient 55 from Muneeba Ali, the hosts struggled against the visitors’ bowling attack, with Matthews leading the charge. She received support from Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, and Afy Fletcher, each claiming a wicket to stifle Pakistan’s batting efforts. Matthews also contributed to a crucial run-out that ended Pakistan’s innings.
With a manageable target of 122 for victory, Matthews continued her dominance, opening the batting for West Indies Women. She began her innings aggressively, smashing 10 boundaries on her way to a match-high 58 runs off just 43 balls. Her attacking display laid a solid foundation for the run chase.
Supported by contributions from Shemaine Campbelle (21) and Chedean Nation (unbeaten 17), Matthews guided her team to victory in emphatic fashion, sealing the win with 10 balls to spare.
Matthews’ outstanding performance with both bat and ball underscores her invaluable role as a leader and key player for the West Indies Women’s team. Her contributions have been instrumental in securing consecutive victories against Pakistan Women, setting a strong foundation for the remainder of the series.
The West Indies Women will look to build on this momentum as they aim to maintain their winning streak and clinch the series against Pakistan Women in the upcoming matches.
Motie's heroics lead West Indies A to victory over Nepal in T20 thriller: Series level at 1-1
In a thrilling encounter at Kirtipur, Gudakesh Motie emerged as the standout performer for West Indies A, propelling his team to a crucial victory over Nepal in the second T20 International to level the five-match series at 1-1. Motie's exceptional all-round display, featuring an unbeaten 33 off just eight balls and impactful bowling, played a pivotal role in securing the win.
Batting first, West Indies A faced early setbacks but rallied behind Andre Fletcher's resilient 43 and Captain Roston Chase's 23. However, wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving the team in a precarious position at 115 for 7. When Fletcher departed, the onus fell on Motie to provide a late surge. With only 13 balls remaining, Motie unleashed a blitz, smashing two fours and four sixes to power his team to a competitive total of 160 for 7. Matthew Forde contributed with an unbeaten 11 as Sagar Dhakal and Kushal Bhurtel each picked up crucial wickets for Nepal.
In response, Nepal's captain Rohit Paudel led the charge with a magnificent 71 off 48 balls, keeping his team in contention. However, Nepal's batting struggled against the West Indies A bowling attack, with only Gulsan Jha offering notable support with 26 runs. Motie continued to make an impact with the ball, claiming 2 crucial wickets for 244 runs alongside Obed McCoy, who showed signs of returning to form with his 2 for 24.
Despite Paudel's heroics, Nepal fell short in their chase, ultimately conceding victory to West Indies A by 10 runs. Motie's exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
The third match in the series is set for Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
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