Zimbabwe frustrated

Zimbabwe 131 and 547 West Indies 347 and 98-1 Match drawn; West Indies win series 1-0

Two hours of assured defiance by Chris Gayle and Ramaresh Sarwan, two of the new, young brigade of West Indies batsmen, and, finally and more frustratingly, the first significant rain of the series denied Zimbabwe a fairy-tale ending to the second and final Test here yesterday.

Only 31 overs were available on a cold, grey, damp day before play was abandoned after the third interruption, denying Zimbabwe the chance to press for a remarkable victory. They could not separate Gayle, the tall left-handed opener who ended an outstanding tour unbeaten on 52 and was named man of the series, and Sarwan, the compact right-hander.

The West Indies, set 348 for an improbable win, were 98 for 1, securing the draw that gave them the new Clive Lloyd Trophy and their first series win overseas since a similar 1-0 margin after two Tests in New Zealand in 1995.

Converting a first-innings deficit of 216 into an overall lead of 347 that allowed their captain, Heath Streak, to declare 20 minutes after tea on the previous afternoon, Zimbabwe needed all the available 104 overs to press for a win.

It was obvious from the start that the weather would not co-operate. Neither did the 21-year-old West Indian pair.

Both were assisted by missed chances to Zimbabwe's two schoolboys. Sarwan was 24 when he was drawn forward by the left-arm spinner Ray Price from the first ball after the first, brief break, but the wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu missed the stumping.

Streak gave Taibu's schoolmate and batting hero, the 17-year-old second-innings century-maker Hamilton Masa-kadza, the last over before lunch. He had the chance to embellish what has been an unforgettable debut with his leg-spin but failed to grasp Gayle's hard, low return catch off his third ball.