Lara puts West Indies in strong position

West Indies 282-3 v Zimbabwe

Brian Lara transformed the relief of the West Indies' narrow escape in last week's first Test into a stroke-filled, unbeaten 77 that guaranteed a strong position on the first day of the second Test here yesterday.

The left-handed captain, dismissed for 29 and 1 in the first Test that the West Indies only saved through their last pair's survival during the final 11 overs, shared a restorative fourth-wicket partnership with his vice-captain, Ramnaresh Sarwan. It was worth 141 when light rain and unsatisfactory light halted play at 282 for 3 with 27 of the available 90 overs unused. Lara was 23 short of his 22nd hundred in his 98th Test, and 28 away from surpassing Viv Richards' 8,540 runs as the most by a West Indian in Tests.

On a dry pitch that locals expect to take increasing turn the West Indies gained an early advantage by winning the toss and including the 21-year-old off-spinner Omari Banks to bowl in the fourth innings.

Bristling with determination, Lara spent half an hour of the lunch interval batting in the nets. Once he got in, nine overs into the second session, he found the ideal balance between impeccable defence and typical aggression. Unerringly finding gaps in the field, he stroked 12 fours in his 93 balls.

Lara and Sarwan came together when Daren Ganga and Wavell Hinds fell in successive overs to the left-arm spinner Ray Price to leave the West Indies on 161 for 3. The tall left-hander Chris Gayle was the only wicket to fall before lunch, snicking a catch to the wicket-keeper off the pace bowler Andy Blignaut for 47.

Hinds and Ganga added 73 but were dismissed by Price within 15 runs of each other. Ganga heaved a delivery to Stuart Matsikenyeri at deep mid-wicket, and Hinds charged down the pitch once too often and was comfortably stumped for 81. The left-handed opener twice hoisted the spinner for six and hit 12 fours before, as in his first-innings 79 in the first Test, he was out with a hundred beckoning. It left Lara and Sarwan to rebuild the innings.

(West Indies won toss)

WEST INDIES - First Innings
C H Gayle c Taibu b Blignaut 47
W W Hinds st Taibu b Price 81
D Ganga c Matsikenyeri b Price 23
B C Lara not out 77
R R Sarwan not out 46
Extras (b1 lb2 w1 nb4 pens 0) 8
Total (for 3, 63 overs) 282

Fall: 1-73 2-146 3-161.

To bat: S Chanderpaul, R D Jacobs, O A C Banks, M Dillon, C D Collymore, F H Edwards.

Bowling: Streak 16-3-55-0; Blignaut 11-2-50-1; Mahwire 10-3-52-0; Price 23-0-108-2; Gripper 3-0-14-0.

Umpires: R E Koertzen (SA) and S J A Taufel (Aus).