Zimbabwe resist the West Indies push as first Test ends in a draw at Bulawayo
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.