OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pointe-A-Pierre | Monday 1.05pm.
TWO wickets in the final half-hour to leg-spin bowler Brian Murphy help put Zimbabwe in a strong position against the West Indies Cricket Board Presidents XI on the third day of their four-day match at Guaracara Park on Sunday.
Behind on first innings by 45 runs, the Presidents XI slipped to 118 for three at stumps after being 104 for one.
A 66-run stand for the second wicket between Test batsman Daren Ganga and Trinidad Tobago compatriot Denis Rampersad has been the backbone of the Presidents XI second innings to date.
Murphy, however, had Rampersad lbw for 34 and Rodney Sooklal caught at silly mid-on in the space of six balls to shake the Presidents XI after opening batsman Philo Wallace had been run out following a useful opening partnership of 38 with Ganga.
Earlier, Alistair Campbell, the former Zimbabwe captain, completed his second century of his teams maiden tour of the Caribbean to bring his side back into their match.
Campbell hit an unbeaten 158 as Zimbabwe were dismissed on the stroke of tea for 394 in response to the President’s XI first innings total of 349. Campbell, who hit 112 against the West Indies Cricket Board XI in the opening tour match in Grenada a week ago, followed up with an innings lasting just over seven hours in which he faced 314 balls and plundered 22 boundaries.
Zimbabwe reached 297 for seven after Campbell and Stuart Carlisle completed a 160-run, sixth-wicket stand.
They resumed from their positon of 222 for five, but Carlisle was caught behind off fast bowler Cameron Cuffy for 86 lasting three-and-a-half hours in which he hit 11 fours and two sixes, and Andy Blignaut was caught at first slip off fast-medium bowler Goldwyn Prince to slow down the progress of the tourists.
There was some sting in the Zimbabwe tail after Bryan Strang was caught at mid-wicket to become the last of fast bowler Marlon Blacks four wickets for 87 runs from 34 overs.
Campbell and Murphy added 39 for the ninth-wicket, but the former Zimbabwe captains last wicket stand of 52 with Henry Olonga really insulted the Presidents XI. — AFP
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