1st Test: Zimbabwe Survive Gary Ballance Blow To Draw With West Indies

Zimbabwe survived the loss of first innings centurion Gary Ballance and some testing spin bowling from West Indies duo Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase to cling on for a draw in the first Test in Bulawayo on Wednesday. Set 272 to win in a minimum of 49 overs after West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite declared their second innings at 203 for five, Zimbabwe staggered to 134 for six before stumps were drawn. That represented a gritty rearguard from the Zimbabwe lower order after they had slumped to 119 for five with former England batter Ballance edging Chase to wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva for 18.

Any thoughts of chasing down the notional target were long gone with the emphasis shifting to surviving the last 70 balls at the Queens Sports Club.   

Brad Evans was dismissed eight balls later for a duck and, having claimed six wickets through Motie and Chase, the tourists sensed a dramatic victory.

But wicketkeeper Tafadzwa Tsiga dug in with a dogged 24 not out off 83 balls while tail-ender Wellington Masakadza saw off 36 deliveries for a vital match-saving nought not out.

The first three innnings in the match were all declared with almost 100 overs lost to rain over the first two days.

West Indies opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul was named player of the match for his 207 not out in the first innings, his first Test century.

Ballance also enjoyed a memorable debut for Zimbabwe, marking it with a first innings 137 which made him only the second batsman after Kepler Wessels to score Test centuries for two countries.

Ballance struck four tons for England before his century against the West Indies while South Africa-born Wessels hit four for Australia and two for his homeland.

Motie bowled 24 overs and claimed four for 50 while Chase took two wickets while conceding only nine runs in 12 overs that included six maidens.

The second and final Test starts on Sunday. 

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