Chase anchors West Indies to healthy lead

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (CMC):

Roston Chase got some of his grooves back with a resolute half-century, but an attempt by West Indies to forge ahead against Zimbabwe in the second Test yesterday was again thwarted by their opponents' tenacity and fickle weather.

Chase has top-scored so far for the Windies with 70, and when rain stopped play for the second time about 45 minutes before the scheduled close on the second day at the Queens Sports Club, they were 290 for eight, a first-innings lead of 165.

The Barbadian slow-bowling all-rounder shared successive half-century stands with compatriot Kyle Mayers and wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua da Silva to fortify West Indies' grip on the match.

Da Silva scored 44 and Mayers made 30, but they were two of four wickets that West Indies conceded during the 49.4 overs of play that were possible on the day.

Pacer Victor Nyauchi ended play with three wickets for 56 runs from 16.4 overs, and leg-spinner Brandon Mavuta supported with three for 73 from 24 overs, both the personification of the Zimbabweans displayed with purposeful bowling.

This was the highest of the four half-centuries Chase has scored since his unbeaten 102 in a losing cause against England three years ago at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia.

For some time last year, he had lost his Test place, but the selection panel felt anyone with five Test hundreds and the ability to bowl steady off-spin was worth the punt, and he regained his place in recent months.

Chase spent almost four hours at the crease and struck only four fours and one six from 132 balls, in an effort to consolidate the hold the visitors have on the match, before he drove at a delivery from Nyauchi that moved back and was bowled in the fifth over with the second new ball.

"Obviously, I was looking for a century, but I thought my mindset was still in an old-ball mindset, and the new ball tends to do a bit more, so I thought it was a bit disappointing on my end, but it was a good delivery from the bowler, and credit must go to him," he said, after play.

"I was a bit disappointed not being able to convert to a hundred, but I was happy that I was still able to get a decent score ... . It's always a good feeling to get a good score. I didn't get much in the last game because I was in a position where I had to come out and look for runs right away.

"That's out of my game plan and strategy, but this game, I really had the opportunity to go out there and play my natural game and play to my strengths."

Chase said he hoped the Windies could extend their lead well past 200, which will put them in a far better position to try to force a win over the remaining three days, weather permitting.