Zimbabwe 245 for four on opening day

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (AP):

Opening batsman Tino Mawoyo hit an unbeaten half-century as Zimbabwe reached 245-4 at stumps on the first day of the one-off Test against Pakistan at Queens Sports Club yesterday.

The 25-year-old Mawoyo, playing in only his second Test, faced 273 balls and struck 10 boundaries in a composed innings in which he ran well between the wickets, found the gaps and rotated the strike well.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal claimed 3-75 off 29 overs to help Pakistan slow down the host's momentum on a spin-friendly pitch.

The toss

Pakistan chose to field after winning the toss but Zimbabwe opener Vusi Sibanda said captain Brendan Taylor would have elected to bat anyway.

"It's an unusual wicket - it was a good toss to lose. Them batting second, I think it's an advantage to us," Sibanda said. "Anything around 370 would be a bonus as the wicket will turn. It will help us psychologically and as times goes by it will turn more."

Mawoyo and Sibanda gave Zimbabwe a solid start, with a 71-run stand for the first wicket before Sibanda, who scored 45 in an innings dominated by superb pull shots, was stumped by wicketkeeper Adnan Ajmal off Saeed four overs before the lunch break.

After lunch, Saeed clean bowled Hamilton Masakadza for 11 after the Zimbabwean mistimed a straight delivery, and trapped Taylor plumb in front on 10 to leave Zimbabwe on 111-3 and give Pakistan some hope.

But Mawoyo and former captain Tatenda Taibu steadied the ship. They put on 65 for the fourth wicket before Taibu, on 44, edged behind to give Sohail Khan his first Test wicket.

The right-handed Mawoyo, a former captain of the Zimbabwe Under-19 and A sides, then shared an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 69 with Craig Ervine (38 not out), to lift Zimbabwe from 176-4 on a good batting wicket.