The West Indies hold a slight advantage against Zimbabwe at stumps on Sunday’s first day of the second Test at Bulawayo.

Gudakesh Motie took career-best Test figures on Sunday to help the West Indies dismiss Zimbabwe for 115 after lunch on the first day of the second Test at Bulawayo.

West Indies defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in a low-scoring thriller at the Western Province Cricket Club in Cape Town Wednesday.

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.

In a match seemingly headed for a draw, Raymon Reifer and Jermaine Blackwood each scored 50s as the West Indies declared their second innings on 203-5 on Wednesday’s final day of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

The World Test Championship final will take place at The Oval between June 7 and 11, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed.

There will also be a reserve day on June 12 if necessary as the top two Test sides do battle to see who will lift the mace as world Test champions.

Those two teams are yet to be finalised, although Australia currently top the rankings while India, who they meet in a four-Test series starting on February 9, are second.

Sri Lanka and South Africa sit third and fourth respectively, with the latter set to take on reigning champions New Zealand in a two-Test series in February.

England are in hot pursuit in fifth after winning eight of their past nine Test matches, while West Indies also have a slim chance of making the final.

New Zealand's hopes of retaining the title they claimed by beating India by eight wickets in Southampton in 2021 are already over, having won just two Test matches since that famous victory.

Former Jamaica and West Indies fast-bowler Franklyn Rose is calling on players to have the right frame of mind when representing the region.

The 51-year-old Rose, who played 19 tests and 27 one-day internationals, made this plea in a recent interview with www.usacricketers.com.

He implored players to aspire to be role models, always disciplined and change their attitudes when it comes to international duties.

“Our players need to change their attitudes in the region and I think that is what is affecting our performances over the years, if not our cricket will continue to decline,” Rose commented.

Rose, who took 53 Test wickets, also commented on the standard of First-class cricket in the region.

“We don’t see the bouncy pitches anymore, our fast-bowlers need good pitches to bowl on, we need them to be prepared for international assignments and, again, these come down to the attitude of our players, people blame the administrators but if the players don’t have the right attitude, then things can’t go right” Rose said.

Filling the gap between the youth to senior level is of paramount importance, according to Rose.

“We have got to put things in place to help the youngsters after finishing off at the youth level; we want proper structure, we want good cricket after that youth tournament so we can keep our talented young players in good shape, we don’t want them to have the same attitude from the youth stage and then transfer it to the big stage, so we have got to be smart and change our whole attitude when it comes to our cricket in the Caribbean,” Rose declared.

Since his retirement, Rose has been a steady presence in the United States of America featuring for various clubs in Los Angeles while he has been involved in humanitarian services back in Jamaica.

He performed several coaching roles as well to add to his cricketing criteria.

Like many ex-West Indies players, Rose has reached out to the schools to help with the promotion of cricket. According to Rose, he is doing voluntary coaching with over 30 schools in Jamaica.

“Well, the youths need to be given the chance; I go into schools and try to spot talented players; I always wanted to contribute back to the game; I strongly believe in coaching so I am willing to assist,” Rose said.

Former England batsman Gary Ballance made an unbeaten century to lead a Zimbabwean fightback on day four of the first Test in Bulawayo.

Day four started with Zimbabwe 114-3 off 41.4 overs, trailing the Windies by 333 runs.

The Zimbabweans were in further trouble when half-centurion Innocent Kaia was struck plumb in front by Alzarri Joseph for 67.

Wicketkeeper Tafazdwa Tsiga then joined Balance at the crease, facing five balls and making only two before Joseph dismissed him in a similar fashion, leaving Zimbabwe 132-5 after 51 overs at that point.

Brad Evans then made his way to the middle and added a further 15 runs with Balance before he was caught behind off the bowling of Kemar Roach for seven.

The fall of that wicket was the start of somewhat of a revival for Zimbabwe as Wellington Masakadza then joined Balance at the crease.

The pair put on a partnership of 45 for the seventh wicket, more importantly, batting for 24 overs and four balls in the process.

This pair worked and frustrated the West Indian bowlers, something that the next pair capitalized on as Balance and Brandon Mavuta, who took his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests in the West Indies first innings, put on what may very well be a match-saving 135-run eighth-wicket partnership.

Mavuta, who had a previous highest Test score of six, made his maiden half-century off 107 balls before being bowled by Jason Holder for 56 off 132 balls just after the tea break.

Just before tea, Ballance brought up his maiden Test hundred for Zimbabwe, having previously making four for England, off 190 balls.

After Mavuta was dismissed, Ballance had partnerships of 14 with Victor Nyauchi, who made 13, and 38 with Richard Ngarava, who finished 19*, as the hosts declared on 379-9 off 125 overs, trailing the West Indies by 68 runs.

Ballance finished not out on 137 from 231 balls, hitting 12 fours and two sixes.

Alzarri Joseph led the way with the ball for the Windies with 3-75 off his 26 overs. Gudakesh Motie and Jason Holder also bagged two wickets each.

At stumps, the West Indies were 21-0 off 13 overs in their second innings with Kraigg Brathwaite on 11 and Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 10.  

Scores: West Indies 447-6 declared off 143 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 207*, Kraigg Brathwaite 182, Brandon Mavuta 5-140) and 21-0 off 13 overs (Kraigg brathwaite 11*, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 10*)

Zimbabwe 379-9 off 125 overs (Gary Ballance 137*, Innocent Kaia 67, Brandon Mavuta 56, Alzarri Joseph 3-75, Jason Holder 2-55, Gudakesh Motie 2-110)

A maiden Test double hundred from Tagenarine Chanderpaul and a 12^th Test century from captain Kraigg Brathwaite have put the West Indies in an excellent position after day three of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

The day began with Chanderpaul and Brathwaite resuming from their overnight score of 221-0 with Brathwaite on 116 and Chanderpaul on 101.

The pair took their opening partnership to 336 before Brathwaite was trapped leg before wicket to Wellington Masakadza for 182. His knock lasted 312 balls and included eight fours.

With the Windies 336-1, Kyle Mayers was promoted to number three to provide quick runs and did that, contributing 20 off just 24 balls before he became the first of Brandon Mavuta’s five wickets.

The 25-year-old leg spinner then claimed the wickets of Raymon Reifer (2), Jermaine Blackwood (5), Roston Chase (7) and Jason Holder (11) to complete his maiden Test five-wicket haul.

During all that, Chanderpaul brought up his maiden Test double ton off 416 balls, finishing up not out on 207 off 467 balls as the West Indies declared on 447-6 after 143 overs.

Mavuta ended with figures of 5-140 off 41 overs.

The Zimbabwean reply started well as openers Innocent Kaia and Tanunurwa Makoni saw off the West Indian new ball pair of Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph in the process of bringing up their 50-run partnership in the 21^st over.

Makoni’s resistance ended in the 27^th over when he flashed at a wide one from Joseph, being easily caught by Kyle Mayers at slip with the partnership at 63.

Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie then got in on the action in the 32^nd over when he produced a feint edge off Chamu Chibhabha which West Indies wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva safely held. Chibhabha made nine.

Kaia then brought up his maiden Test fifty off 98 balls.

With the Zimbabweans seemingly heading towards stumps with eight wickets in the shed, West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite decided to try his hand at bowling the last over of the day.

The decision proved to be a genius one as Brathwaite removed opposite number Craig Ervine for 13 to leave the hosts 114-3 off 41.4 overs at stumps, trailing the Windies by 333 runs.

Scores: West Indies 447-6 declared off 143 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 207*, Kraigg Brathwaite 182, Brandon Mavuta 5-140) Zimbabwe 114-3 off 41.4 overs (Innocent Kaia 59*, Tanunurwa Makoni 33, Kraigg Brathwaite 1-5, Gudakesh Motie 1-25, Alzarri Joseph 1-25)

West Indies openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul broke a long-standing record for Test opening partnerships on Monday’s third day of the first Test against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo as the West Indies went to lunch on 374-2.

Resuming from their overnight score of 221-0 with Brathwaite on 116 and Chanderpaul on 101, the pair took their opening partnership to 336 before Brathwaite was trapped leg before wicket to Wellington Masakadza for 182. The score broke the record for the best-ever West Indies opening partnership of 298 by the West Indies iconic opening pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes that was made against England in 1990.

They also became the first opening pair to bat in excess of 100 overs in an innings in the 21st century only the second opening pair to face over 600 deliveries in a Test innings, falling just short of the record held by Sri Lanka’s Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya, who had played 114.2 overs against Pakistan.

It is also the ninth-highest opening partnership in Test cricket history and the first time that both West Indies openers have gone past 150 in the same innings.

Brathwaite’s marathon knock lasted 312 balls and included 18 fours.

In a bid to accelerate the scoring rate, Kyle Mayers, who replaced Brathwaite scored 20 from 24 balls in a partnership of 37 with Chanderpaul before was bowled by Brandon Mavuta with the score at 373.

Dropped at deep backward square leg on 150, Chanderpaul remains unbeaten on 161 with Raymon Reifer on one at the other end.

Masakadza has so far taken 1-53 from 22 overs while Mavuda has figures of 1-99 from the 32 overs he has bowled so far.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul scored his maiden Test century and Captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored his 12^th as the West Indies closed another rain shortened second day in the first Test against Zimbabwe on 221-0 at Bulawayo.

The West Indies had resumed from their overnight score of 112-0 with both batsmen on 55.

In the 48 overs possible on Sunday because of a wet outfield caused by heavy downpour on Saturday, the 26-year-old Chanderpaul, playing in only his third Test, progressed to score 101 not out.

His 100 came up off 296 balls and included 10 fours and a six. It was the first time since 2013 that a West Indies opener other than Brathwaite had scored a Test century.

Brathwaite, meanwhile, had scored yet another century to be unbeaten on 116. His ton that included only seven fours came from 226 balls.

The 221-run opening stand marked the first time West Indies has put on a double-century opening partnership since 2012 and was just the 10th double century opening partnership in West Indies history and the seventh pair to do so.

The partnership was also the highest ever opening stand against Zimbabwe.

The 150-run stand came up in 67.2 overs while the 200-run partnership was achieved in 83.2 overs.

Only 51 overs were possible as rain played a massive part on day one of the first Test between the West Indies and Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday.

On a flat pitch, Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat first.

Brathwaite and opening partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul then both played typical patient knocks to end the day 112-0 after 51 overs when the heavens opened.

In the process, Brathwaite brought up his 29^th Test fifty while Chanderpaul, playing in just his third match, brought up his second half century in Tests.

Both batsmen ended the day not out on 55, with Brathwaite’s knock coming off 138 balls and including two fours and Chanderpaul’s coming off 170 balls and including eight boundaries.

After nearly two weeks of preparation in Bulawayo, West Indies interim head coach is eagerly awaiting the first ball of the series on Saturday morning. According to Andre Coley, the preparation has been sufficient, with numerous practice sessions and a dominant display in the three-day warm-up match against the Zimbabwe XI, across town at the Bulawayo Sports Club.

Now the attention switches the “big show” – the first Test against Zimbabwe, and the location moves to the Queens Sports Club, where the two teams will meet.

“We are confident that the areas that we wanted to address and spend some time on, we were able to do so. The facilities have generally been good and offered us enough to get through what we needed to,” Coley said.

He also expressed pleasure at the way the players have been responding to the training, noting that they have been putting in extra work in the nets and on fitness.

Regarding getting ahead and eventually winning the series, he is looking for consistency in all areas.

Wary that Zimbabwe are highly competitive at home, the West Indies will be eager to start the year right, having enjoyed some success in the longest format over the past 18 months and a series in South Africa to follow.

The first Test will begin on Saturday, February 4. First ball is 10am (4am Eastern Caribbean/3am Jamaica).

Squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Jermaine Blackwood (vice-captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Tagnarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Devon Thomas and Jomel Warrican

West Indies closed day three of their tour match against Zimbabwe XI in Bulawayo on 82-2, a lead of 477 as they continue to prepare for their upcoming Test series against Zimbabwe.

Resuming from their overnight score of 52-5, in reply to the West Indies' mammoth first innings total of 517, Zimbabwe XI were bowled out for 122.

Timycen Maruma, who was on 15 overnight was eventually dismissed by Motie for 37 while Milton Shumba, who was on nine added only four before he was bowled by Gabriel for 13.

Tafadzwa Tsiga scored an unbeaten 21 and number-11 batter Faraz Akram added 19 managing to get the score past 100 after Zimbabwe XI had slumped to 87-9.

Joseph took 2-12, while Motie returned figures of 2-24. Gabriel, who is returning from an extended break because of injury, finished with 2-21.

Choosing not to enforce a follow-on, West Indies opened with Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Raymon Reifer, in an apparent bid to provide time in the middle for other batters in the squad. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored an unbeaten 116 in the West Indies first innings.

However, Reifer failed to take advantage of the opportunity when he got out caught behind off Akram's bowling for one having faced four balls.

Nkrumah Bonner’s poor run of form continued when he was dismissed caught behind off the bowling of William Mashinge for a mere 13.

Chanderpaul, who made 46 in the West Indies first innings, retired not out on 23. Meanwhile, Jermaine Blackwood, who only managed 17 in the West Indies first innings was unbeaten on 34 with Jason Holder not out on two at the other end as the match approaches its fourth and final day.

Akram has 1-4 from his four overs while Mashinge has so far taken 1-6 from the three overs he bowled.

West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva says he is thankful for the opportunity to spend some time in the middle ahead of the side’s two Test matches against Zimbabwe beginning on February 4.

Da Silva made a well-compiled 100 off 149 balls as the Windies scored a massive 517 in their first innings of a tour match against a Zimbabwe XI in Bulawayo. The match was declared a draw on Monday after the West Indies reached 82-2 in their second innings after dismissing the hosts for 122.

“It’s always good when you get to spend some time in the middle in a practice game. I had fun out there,” the 24-year-old Trinidadian said.

“It is a decent pitch. Some balls are staying a bit low but I think the boys have really applied themselves and made the most of the opportunity to get into the middle. The goal set out by Kraigg (Brathwaite) was to bat a day and a half and we did that. Kraigg gave us a target of 450 an hour after lunch on the second day and we got that as well. We ticked all the boxes and, hopefully, we can transfer that into the Test series,” Da Silva added.

Brathwaite got a hundred of his own, stroking 116 off 170 deliveries, and Da Silva commented on his skipper’s form heading into the series.

“Everybody’s seen it. We know the kind of form he’s in and ever since he’s gotten the captaincy his form has taken an uphill climb. It’s been a joy to watch for me and I try to take little things from him and add it to my game,” he said.

Da Silva also commended his bowlers, especially Alzarri Joseph, who he said was able to extract some good pace out of a slow wicket.

“I think Alzarri’s pace opening up really surprised them. He was bowling quite fast on the pitch and it’s not a quick pitch by any means. To see him run in, give his full effort and bowl as fast as he could was really good.”