BRIAN LARA extended his latest batting master-class for another two and a half magical hours of the second day of the second Test yesterday, along the way elevating himself above Sir Viv Richards at the head of the illustrious list of the West Indies' highest run-scorers in Tests.
But Zimbabwe were given a lease of life after Lara then proceeded to make 21 bowling changes in the 59 overs Zimbabwe faced leaving them 173 for three at close of play on the second day.
The princely left-hander's chanceless 191, compiled from just 203 balls, carried his Test aggregate to 8,625 runs in his 98th Test, surpassing Richards who gathered his 8,560 in 121 Tests."It means a lot to be up in the 8,000's with Sir Viv and Sir Gary Sobers (third highest with 8,032 in 93 Tests)," Lara said afterwards. "It's mind-boggling."
He carried 77 over from his first day account, resuming in a burgeoning partnership with vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan with the West Indies 282 for three.
His innings - nine short of extending his West Indies' record of five Test scores over 200 when he steered the second ball after lunch from fast bowler Andy Blignaut low to wide slip - underpinned a total of 481.
As always when at his best, his stroke-play was characterised by his uncanny placement that added 11 fours to the 12 of the previous day.
There was not a point on the compass of the spacious Queen's Sports Club outfield that he missed during his overall occupation of four and a half hours.
He spared no bowler but was especially severe on left-arm spinner Ray Price, who paid 199 runs for his five wickets, hoisting him straight for all his four sixes and never letting him settle.
Inexplicably, the sublime became the ridiculous for Lara and the West Indies over the second half of the day when Fidel Edwards and Merv Dillon strengthened their position by removing the first three Zimbabwean wickets for 31.
But their advance was halted by an unbroken partnership of 142 between Mark Vermuelen, 60, and Craig Wishart, 86, prospered on a slow pitch against Lara's bizarre tactics.
The captain gave Wavell Hinds first use of the new ball with his gentle medium-pace out-swing.
He then promptly removed him after one over and proceeded to ring 21 bowling changes in the 59 overs in which Zimbabwe compiled 173 for three.
Edwards' 11 overs were broken into five spells. Dillon was given nine steady overs after replacing Hinds and then six more divided into two.
Omari Banks, needing a long bowl in his first first-class match since the final Test against Sri Lanka in Kingston in June, had six overs from one end, a break and then six from the other.
Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan had 10 overs between them in five different spells, conceding 45. Each was belted for six, Sarwan by the more aggressive Wishart, Gayle by Vermuelen to raise his 50.
It suggested an unnecessary lack of patience and the inability to press the early initiative. Its effect was patently unsettling to the bowlers and comforting to the batsmen.
Along with the failure to raise a total of over 500, it marred a happy occasion for Lara and the team.
Lara's stand with Sarwan, begun midway through the opening day, grew by 69 to 190 inside the first hour, mainly through the left-hander's dominance and Sarwan repeatedly and deftly turning the striking over to him.
After Sarwan became the third of Price's victims to a bat-pad catch to silly point for 68 (112 balls, nine fours), the innings lost its way.
Five wickets fell for 98 once the second new ball was taken until Dillon and Corey Collymore batted with sense and enterprise to raise 32 from the last two wickets.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the victim of umpire Rudi Koertzen's clear error, ruled out to Wishart's sharp, low right-handed slip catch off the front pad from Price.
Ridley Jacobs was taken at second slip off Heath Streak and Banks was lbw on the crease to Blignaut who was roughly treated by Dillon before he closed out the innings.
In spite of Lara's punishment, Price was once more Zimbabwe's best bowler, wheeling away for 43 of his team's 107 overs, taking at least half the opposition's wickets in an innings for the third successive Test.
He had six against Australia in Sydney last month and six in the drawn first Test last week.
It did not take Edwards and Dillon long to make inroads in the Zimbabwean reply. Vusi Sibanda, the new, slim right-handed opener, pushed a return catch as he played across Edwards' full-length out-swinger off his fifth ball.
The other opener, Trevor Gripper, was visibly shaken when Edwards' accidental beamer struck his hastily raised forearm guard and deflected into his helmet.
He needed on-field attention and soon dragged a nervous pull shot at Dillon back into his stumps.
When Edwards beat Stuart Carlisle for pace and lift, and bowled him, if luckily, off his elbow, Zimbabwe were tottering.
Even by then, Lara had made five bowling changes and, as he went through more with the frequency of a Prime Minister dissatisfied with his cabinet, Vermuelen and Wishart built their stand.
Vermuelen needed a runner after edging Dillon's off-cutter into his knee but, apart from a marginal lbw decision from Dillon going his way at 31 and Wishart's edge off Banks' straight ball that bisected keeper and slip for a boundary, a wicket didn't look likely.
On a slow, true, but wearing pitch, they will only come through patience and application.