BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Off-spinners Marlon Samuels and Shane Shillingford celebrated their return to the West Indies side by combining to wreck Zimbabwe on the opening day of the first Test here yesterday.
Samuels, in his first international match of the year since recovering from a serious eye injury, finished with career-best figures of four for 13 while Shillingford, recalled after nearly a year in the wilderness, claimed three for 58 as Zimbabwe plunged from a position of 100 for two just after lunch, to 211 all out in the final session.
However, lively seamer Kyle Jarvis (2-9) struck two lethal blows late in the day, removing opener Kieran Powell for five and nightwatchman Kemar Roach without scoring in successive deliveries, to leave West Indies slightly rattled at 18 for two. In a bizarre seven-ball over, Powell played back and was trapped lbw by one that would have struck leg and middle while Roach was hit deep on the back leg deep in his crease, and also palpably lbw.
Talismanic opener Chris Gayle was unbeaten on 11 with stylish left-hander Darren Bravo yet to score.
Earlier, opener Tino Mawoyo top scored with 50 while Craig Ervine got 29 and captain Brendan Taylor, 26, as Zimbabwe flourished in the early stages after opting to bat first at Kensington Oval.
After reaching a comfortable position of 100 for two just after the lunch break, Zimbabwe were undermined by Samuels and Shillingford and lost their last eight wickets for just 111 runs.
Fast bowler Roach, who took both wickets to fall in the morning session, finished with two for 31.
Zimbabwe started positively through Vusi Sibanda who struck three fours in 12 from 19 balls, before perishing in the seventh over of the morning. He survived a chance on four with as many on the board when his booming drive off the impressive Tino Best was floored at third slip by Bravo.
The classy right-hander failed to make the most of the reprieve and lost his leg stump as he played across a full length delivery from Roach, with the score on 17.
Mawoyo and Hamilton Masakadza then consolidated, weathering an excellent spell from Best, to add 42 for the second wicket. The right-handed Mawoyo struck seven fours off 95 deliveries in 133 minutes at the crease while Masakadza faced 37 balls and hit two fours in his 17.
Mawoyo started circumspectly but grew in confidence as the session progressed, cutting fast bowler Shannon Gabriel for four and stroking medium pacer and captain Darren Sammy to the cover boundary.
Masakadza, struck on the helmet by a short delivery from Best when three, composed himself nicely and looked to be set for lunch when he was prised out by a stunning catch at gully by Samuels. He chopped a short ball into the cordon only for Samuels to dive low to his left and come up with a one-handed catch inches from the grass with the score on 59.
Taylor, however, joined Mawoyo to add 32 for the third wicket and deny West Indies any further success before lunch, as the visitors reached the interval on 91 for two.
Unbeaten on 45 at lunch, Mawoyo completed his third half-century in Tests in the third over after lunch but fell in the next over when he pushed forward to Shilling-ford and popped a gentle catch to Powell at forward short-leg at 100 for three.
Taylor, who faced 53 balls and struck four fours, briefly went on the offensive when he took a couple of boundaries off speedster Best – the first an attractive punch off the back foot through cover and the second, a breezy straight drive. His enterprise was curtailed, however, when Gabriel got one to pitch and straighten and remove his off-stump at 110 for four.
Ervine put on 25 for the fifth wicket with Waller before the latter missed a sweep and was lbw to Shillingford for nine, to end a promising partnership.
Regis Chakabva (15) and Ervine added a further 23 to defy the Windies bowlers but Samuels ended the resistance with his very first delivery, bowling Ervine through the gate to leave Zimbabwe on 158 for six with tea approaching. Ervine faced 71 balls in a 97-minute knock, striking five fours.
West Indies should have had another wicket – and Shillingford his third – before tea but Best floored a sitter at mid-off as Chakabva slogged in desperation.
Graeme Cremer, whose 25 required 52 balls in 69 minutes at the crease, extended his seventh wicket stand with Chakabva to 38 to frustrate the Windies in the first hour of the final session.
Once Samuels broke the stand by having Cremer caught by Bravo running around at point, Zimbabwe folded swiftly as they last four wickets tumbled for 15 runs in the space of 23 balls.
