Gary Ballance
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)
Bradley Jacks is a budding journalist and an avid sports fan. His love of research and sports has led him to SportsMax.tv, a place where those passions work hand in hand to allow him to produce content.
McSween grabs 5-39 as Windward Islands Volcanoes beat Leeward Islands Hurricanes by six wickets at Brian Lara Stadium
Preston McSween starred with his fifth first-class five wicket haul as the Windward Islands Volcanoes completed a comfortable six-wicket win over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on day four of their fourth-round fixture at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba on Saturday.
The Hurricanes started the day 99-5 off 39 overs with a lead of 128 runs in their second innings with Montcin Hodge on 45 and Kofi James yet to get off the mark.
Hodge ended up making a top score of 59 as the Leewards eventually folded for 144 off 55 overs.
McSween led the charge with the ball for the Volcanoes with 5-39 off 13 overs while Larry Edward took 3-9 from eight in support.
Chasing 174 for victory, the Volcanoes reached 32-0 at lunch with Teddy Bishop on 15 and Keron Cottoy on 12.
They lost three wickets after the resumption, including first innings centurion Kavem Hodge, but Alick Athanaze, who also got a century in the first innings, and Sunil Ambris steadied the ship.
At tea, the Volcanoes were 151-3 off 34 overs, needing only 23 more runs to win with Athanaze on 31 and Ambris on 28.
Shortly after tea, Athanaze was dismissed for 38 before Ambris and Tevyn Walcott guided the Volcanoes to 174-4 off 38 overs. Ambris finished 40*.
Rakheem Cornwall took 2-53 off 13 overs for the Hurricanes.
Captain Powell the hero as West Indies win thriller against South Africa
New skipper Rovman Powell powered West Indies to a stunning three-wicket win against South Africa in a rain-reduced T20I clash on Saturday.
The start in Centurion was pushed back because of wet conditions and the contest was reduced to an 11-overs-a-side thrash, with South Africa totting up 131-8, helping by David Miller crunching 48 from 22 balls.
Miller struck three sixes as the home side recovered well from losing opener Quinton de Kock to the first ball of their innings at SuperSport Park.
West Indies made a flying start to their reply as Brandon King and Kyle Mayers took 17 runs from the first four deliveries. King's 23, and 28 from Johnson Charles, helped to put the tourists in a strong position, but it was Powell who played the crucial innings.
The 29-year-old Jamaican hit five sixes in an explosive 43no from 18 balls, holding his nerve after West Indies lost two wickets to Sisanda Magala (3-21) in the 10th over.
Powell's maximum from the second delivery of the 11th over brought the teams level, and he tucked away a single into the leg side from the next ball to seal the win, taking West Indies to 132-7.
Powell starts as he means to go on
The chance to lead arose for Powell when Nicholas Pooran resigned as West Indies' white-ball captain after last year's T20 World Cup.
Powell has taken on the T20I job, with Shai Hope leading the ODI team, and this was a whirlwind beginning for the incoming captain, firstly with the match being reduced to a quickfire slog, and then with the pressure falling on his shoulders with the bat.
He came in at 66-3 in the fifth over, after the breakneck start, and saw the job through, posting his joint-sixth highest T20I score in what was his 47th innings at this level.
Trend to continue?
The last three T20I series between these teams have been won by the touring side, and with two games remaining in this series we might be on for a repeat.
South Africa are experiencing a dire run of series results in T20Is at home, having lost their last four such series, last getting a home success against Sri Lanka in March 2019.
Over the longer course of a full 20 overs it might prove a different story between these teams, with the win for West Indies on this occasion being just the second in their last 16 T20Is away from home. They and South Africa go again on Sunday, also in Centurion.
Sinclair takes four as Guyana Harpy Eagles complete 228-run win over Jamaica Scorpions at Providence
Kevin Sinclair took 4-37 to lead the Guyana Harpy Eagles to a 228-run win over the Jamaica Scorpions on day four of their fourth-round fixture at Providence on Saturday.
The Scorpions started day four 176-1 off 43 overs with a glimmer of hope of pulling off a historic chase.
That hope was quickly dashed as Tevin Gilzene and Jermaine Blackwood, who entered the day on 81 and 66, respectively, were swiftly dismissed for 85 and 67. Paul Palmer Jr also went for a duck in between those wickets as the Scorpions were suddenly 207-4.
The wickets continued to tumble as the Scorpions were eventually bowled out for 229 in the 67th over.
Sinclair finished with figures of 4-37 off 18.2 overs while Ronsford Beaton took 3-85 off 17 and Veerasammy Permaul took 2-23 off 11.
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