Hopeful start to Zimbabwe tour for Windies

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (CMC):

Batsmen Shai Hope, Roston Chase and Kraigg Brathwaite all gathered half-centuries as West Indies made a bright start to their tour of Zimbabwe yesterday.

Opting to bat first on the opening day of the three-day match against Zimbabwe A, the Caribbean side ended on 301 for six with Hope top-scoring with 85, Chase stroking 79 and Brathwaite chipping in with 53.

Kyle Hope, Shai's older brother, missed out on a half-century with 42, while seamer Michael Chinouya, who played his only two Tests against New Zealand last year, was the best bowler with two for 55.

In the only warm-up match before the first Test starting next Saturday, West Indies made the most of the outing with their main batsmen getting among the runs.

Seven runs

They lost left-hander Kieran Powell cheaply for one with a mere seven runs on the board in the day's fifth over, but Brathwaite and Kyle Hope posted 87 for the second wicket to repair the innings.

Brathwaite struck five fours and a six in an innings spanning 136 deliveries and just over 31/2 hours, while Kyle faced 109 balls in 189 minutes at the crease, and counted four fours and a six.

Both perished four balls apart in successive overs with the score on 94, but their demise paved the way for an attractive 175-run, fourth- wicket stand between Shai Hope and Chase.

Hope, the most successful batsman on the recent tour of England, appeared in good touch, striking 10 fours off just 107 balls in just over three hours.

Chase, meanwhile, looking to regain his form following a poor England series, faced 114 deliveries in three hours at the crease and counted eight fours and a six.

They were both trotting comfortably towards three figures when they retired with the score on 269. Jermaine Blackwood failed to follow their example, belting a four and a six in 15 before falling lbw to Chinouya.