Windies v. Zimbabwe - 2nd. Test

[HAL]

Go on.

[couragous cloke]

7-63 now... Blignaut offers no stroke and his Plumb in front to Banks who picks up his third Wicket, Zimbabwe down to their last 2 Decent Batsmen, Taibu and Streak, its not looking good for the home team

[couragous cloke]

another 1. Taibu gone LBW to Collymore.. the current score is 8-74. Streak Would have to perform the innings of his life with Price.

[HAL]

One more 1.

[couragous cloke]

Price tries to stop it with his boot but ends up kicking it onto the stumps,Collymore celebrates, nine down one more to go

9 Fa.. 1 more to go.

[couragous cloke]

Bad light stops play with zimbabwe needing 143 to win and West Indies just needing the 1 wicket.

[Donny]

Streak (33 n.o.) added 14 before Dillon bowled Mahwire for 4.

Windies won by 128.

Price would have to be Player of the Series. He took 19 wickets.

[Donny]

West Indies seal series with 128-run win

The Wisden Bulletin by John Ward

It took 40 minutes on the final morning for West Indies to take the final Zimbabwean wicket and seal, by 128 runs, Brian Lara's first victory away from home as West Indies' captain.

Zimbabwe resumed on 90 for 9 and, thanks to the resolution of the last pair, who showed more fighting spirit than any of their predecessors, managed to lift their score into three figures and to 104 before the inevitable took place. There were even cheered on by a few hundred voluble spectators, who had turned up for what might well have been a single ball.

Corey Collymore and Mervyn Dillon began with a couple of maidens before two nervous fours off the edge of Heath Streak's bat got Zimbabwe going. Blessing Mahwire held up his end well, but his stonewalling effort finally came to an end when a ball from Dillon proved too good, breaking through his defences to hit his stumps and end the series.

Streak (33*) should have sent himself in earlier than number nine, as he seems at present the only batsman in the team capable of holding his nerve in a crisis. He had a fine series with both bat and ball, and his bowling figures did him little justice. He was the bowler West Indian batsmen have been content to keep out while scoring runs at the other end.

At least Zimbabwe matched West Indies for most of this too-brief series, which contained much thrilling cricket. Had they still possessed batsmen of the ability and temperament of Andy Flower and Murray Goodwin, they might today have been celebrating victory instead of going down at the final hurdle in such humiliating fashion.

[couragous cloke]

Man of the Match---- BRIAN CHARLES LARA! no surprises there

[Donny]

We blew it: Streak
From correspondents in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
November 17, 2003

ZIMBABWE captain Heath Streak said his team had thrown away the chance of victory after the West Indies won the second and final Test by 128 runs to take the series 1-0.

The first Test in Harare last week ended in a draw.

Zimbabwe's batting collapsed on Saturday to leave them 9-90 overnight and only 35 minutes play was needed on the final morning to wrap up the match.

Streak said: "We certainly had a chance and we missed it. But we are a young side and will learn a lot from this."

West Indies skipper Brian Lara, who picked up the man of the match award after his 191 runs, praised Zimbabwe's performance.

"A lot of people will say that Zimbabwe are one of the minnows of world cricket," said Lara.

"But I thought the 11 guys who played 10 days of Test cricket against us were very determined."

Zimbabwe went into yesterday requiring an impossible 143 runs to win with just one wicket remaining.

Streak and last man Blessing Mahwire survived seven overs before Mahwire was bowled by Mervyn Dillon.

When West Indies scored 481 runs in their first innings the match was effectively put out of Zimbabwe's reach, even though they managed to get 377 in reply, a deficit of 104.

Zimbabwe's Mark Vermeulen and Craig Wishart scored 118 and 96 respectively. But it was all not quite enough.

Even though West Indies surprisingly slumped to 128 all out in their second innings, it left Zimbabwe with far much to do.

And poor batting, on a surface which held up well, accounted for their dismal response.

Wickets fell in rapid succession and Zimbabwe did what they do too often – collapse in the face of even a modest target.

Streak tried to achieve a decent personal score, which he did with 33 not out, and also protect Mahwire as much as possible. But it worked for only a short period of the morning.

Lara, who with 8,625 runs to his name is now the highest scoring West Indies batsman, surpassing Viv Richards, was basking in a rare away win.

"We're all very pleased to have won our first test match away from home for some time.

"We don't do it very often. It was also my first victory away from home as captain. We didn't bat well in our second innings but it was enough."

Zimbabwe coach Geoff Marsh refused to blame the state of the pitch for his side's batting collapse.

"I can only speak for Zimbabwe but it was simply rank bad batting," he said.

West Indies celebrate their victory with a visit to a wildlife park while Zimbabwe head for the nets for some serious coaching and training in preparation for the upcoming five-match one-day series.