ROSEAU, Dominica (AFP) – Spinner Shane Shillingford continued to torment Zimbabwe as the visitors limped to 158 for seven at tea on the opening day of the second Test against the West Indies at Windsor Park here on Wednesday.
Fresh from a match-winning performance in the first Test in Barbados, when he had match figures of nine for 107, Shillingford added the scalps of Zimbabwean captain Brendan Taylor and Malcolm Waller to his dismissal of Hamilton Masakadza in the morning session.
Marlon Samuels, whose figures of four for 13 in the first innings at Kensington Oval were his best in test cricket, accounted for the obdurate Craig Ervine to break a useful partnership with debutant Sean Williams and then had Graeme Cremer brilliantly caught by Kieran Powell at short-leg on the stroke of the interval.
Williams (28 not out) resumes after the break, but with only a very vulnerable tail to partner him.
Taylor’s dismissal for 33, bowled off his body attempting a reverse sweep to Shillingford, put an end to any realistic hope of the tourists posting a reasonably competitive first innings total.
It also broke a 41-run fourth-wicket stand with Ervine, who then proceeded to play all around a straight delivery from Samuels to be lbw for 18.
The morning session had seen paceman Shannon Gabriel rein in the tourists after making a promising start.
Gabriel removed both openers Vusi Sibanda and Tino Mawoyo in his first two overs.
Sibanda had lit up the morning with a succession of attacking shots, taking three boundaries in a row off Kemar Roach after West Indies captain Darren Sammy chose to field on winning the toss.
Sibanda and Mawoyo put on 42 at better than a run-a-minute but the introduction of Gabriel changed the complexion of the proceedings completely.
Mawoyo was bowled for eight, having his off-stump knocked back when he offered no shot to a delivery angled into him.
With just one more run added, Sibanda also made a gift of his wicket to Gabriel when on 32, hitting a full-toss low to Roach who held a good catch at mid-on.