BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (Reuters) - Brian Lara struck a sparkling half-century to keep West Indies in control after the first day of the second Test against Zimbabwe yesterday.
The West Indian captain, who won the toss and opted to bat first, was 77 not out and his team 282 for three when bad light and rain ended play seven overs after tea.
Lara was in belligerent mood, hammering 12 fours in 92 balls and sharing in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 121 with Ramnaresh Sarwan, who had 46 not out at the close.
The visitors needed Lara's assurance after left-arm spinner Ray Price, who claimed match figures of 10 for 162 in the drawn first Test in Harare, snapped up two wickets after lunch.
Openers Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds made the most of the ideal batting conditions, adding 57 runs in the 14 overs before the drinks break midway through the first session.
The Zimbabwean bowlers obtained minimal but slow movement off the seam and they were offered no swing through the air.
Pacemen Heath Streak, Andy Blignaut and Blessing Mahwire bowled 18 overs between them without making an impression before Price was introduced to the attack.
The spinner, however, also struggled to trouble the batsmen initially and, in his third over, Hinds hit him for a straight six and a four off consecutive deliveries.
BLIGNAUT BREAKTHROUGH
Blignaut got the breakthrough for the home side 25 minutes before lunch when he had Gayle caught behind by wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu for 47.
Hinds and Daren Ganga guided West Indies to the interval on 104 for one, but Price removed both batsmen in consecutive overs early in the afternoon session.
In the ninth over after lunch, Ganga heaved a delivery to Stuart Matsikenyeri at deep mid-wicket to be dismissed for 23.
Two overs later Hinds, who had reached his half-century with a six over long-on off Price three balls after lunch, strode down the pitch and was easily stumped by Taibu for an 81 which came off 109 balls and included 12 fours and two sixes.
But the left-handed Lara regained the initiative for his team, punishing any waywardness from the Zimbabwe attack as they wilted in temperatures of 37 degrees Celsius.
Lara took three consecutive boundaries off one over from medium pacer Mahwire, and looked set for a big hundred by the close before a thunderstorm washed out the last 27 overs of the day.
Price finished with figures of two for 108 from 23 overs.
BRIAN Lara smashes Mahwire for another boundary. (BBC Sport)