PART-TIME SPINNER Marlon Samuels bowled Craig Ervine for 29 with his first delivery to give the West Indies the upper hand over Zimbabwe, who were 162 for six off 57 overs at tea on the opening day of the first cricket Test at Kensington Oval on Tuesday.
Resuming from 91 for two at lunch, Zimbabwe’s decline started when off-spinner Shane Shillingford, back in the Test team at the expense of Sunil Narine had opener Tino Mawoyo caught at short leg for exactly 50 in his third over.
Shillingford also trapped Malcolm Waller leg before wicket for nine but was unlucky not to take a third wicket as Tino Best dropped Regis Chakabwa in the penultimate over before the interval.
Pacer Shannon Gabriel was the other successful bowler in the post-lunch session, uprooting the off-stump of Zimbabwe’s captain Brendan Taylor with a delivery which swung late. Taylor made 26.
Earlier, in the pre-lunch session, Roach, returning to the Test team for the first time since last August, removed opener Vusi Sibanda for 12 and Hamilton Masakadza for 17.
Roach and Shillingford have two wickets each for 31 and 36 runs respectively at the break while Gabriel has one for 36 and Samuels, one wicket for two runs in just two overs.
The not out batsmen are Chakabwa (eight) Graeme Cremer (two). A further 33 overs remain in the day’s play. (EZS)