Brathwaite ton gets West Indies off to solid start against Zimbabwe XI
West Indians – 313-5 in 90 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 116, Kyle Mayers 46, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 46; Tanaka Chivanga 1/11, Donald Tiripano 1/21, Milton Shumba 1/32)
Zimbabwe XI –
Day 1 – Stumps
A century by the West Indian captain Kraigg Brathwaite was the highlight of the first day’s play in their three-day warm-up match against Zimbabwe XI at Bulawayo Athletic Club on Saturday.
Donald Tiripano, captaining the home side, put the tourists in to bat on winning the toss.
Brathwaite opened the batting along with the left-handed Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who showed much of the tenacity of his famous father Shivnarine, but without his father’s distinctive crab-like stance.
Chanderpaul scored just four runs off the first 31 balls he faced before he felt he had settled in and began to score, although never quickly.
Brathwaite too was mainly intent on taking a good ‘net’ in Zimbabwean conditions, and only later began to play his strokes.
The pair put on 137 for the first wicket, with Brathwaite now playing fluently, before Chanderpaul on 46 was out to an excellent low diving catch to his left by the wicket-keeper Tafadzwa Tsiga off Tanaka Chivanga after he had made 46 off 134 balls.
The score was 195 for one at tea, and Brathwaite, past his century, now decided to retire and let his other batters have a turn.
Raymon Reifer made a cautious 23 off 70 balls before he was deceived and bowled by Priviledge Chesa’s googly at 199, immediately after Nkrumah Bonner had been dismissed lbw to Wessly Madhevere for three.
Jermaine Blackwood played a positive innings of 17 before driving a simple catch to mid-on off Milton Shumba, while Kyle Mayers hit some good strokes in making 46 off 63 balls, when he was beaten and bowled by a faster ball from Tiripano.
Devon Thomas also hit well for 42 not out off 54 balls, and at the close he was partnered by the wicket-keeper, Joshua de Silva, who had nine.
Nine bowlers were used, with five of them taking a wicket each.
The most economical was Chivanga, who took one for 11 off 8.3 overs before he broke down.
