ST GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC) – Captain Travis Dowlin stroked a responsible, unbeaten 49 to steer West Indies A to a nervous, five-wicket win over Zimbabwe in their Twenty20 match at the Queen’s Park Stadium yesterday. The right-handed Guyanese, recently overlooked by selectors for the ODI series against Zimbabwe last month, anchored the hosts’ innings to ensure they reached their target of 114 with just two balls to spare.
Earlier, Zimbabwe struggled as they made 113 for eight off their allotted 20 overs, after winning the toss and opting to bat first.
Only Brendon Taylor, who got 37 from 39 balls with a four and a six, showed any enterprise as off-spinner Shane Shillingford undermined the innings with three for 14 while fast bowler Jason Holder claimed two for 24.
West Indies A’s start was shaky as they lost Justin Guillen for one in the second over when the right-hander gave left-arm spinner Ray Price a return catch with the score on two.
However, Dowlin and Devon Smith then carved out the most productive partnership of the game, adding 56 from 42 balls for the second wicket.
Dowlin struck just one four and a six in an innings lasting 49 balls while Smith was the aggressor, smashing three fours and two sixes in his 31 from 27 balls.
When the left-handed Smith drove Greg Lamb to Timycen Maruma at cover in the ninth over, it sparked a mini collapse where three wickets fell for 21 runs as Kirk Edwards (1) and Assad Fudadin (6) also fell quickly to catches at the wicket by Tatenda Taibu.
West Indies Under-19 wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dowrich then punched a quick-fire 14 from 13 balls with two fours to put the hosts in sight of victory.
When Dowrich was stumped in the 18th over, West Indies still required 16 runs from 14 balls but got home safely in the end as both Dowlin and Imran Khan (eight not out) held their nerves.
Earlier, Zimbabwe never got their innings on sound footing after losing two early wickets inside the first five overs, with openers Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha both falling for 10 as the score slipped to 23 for two.
When Shillingford prised out the usually aggressive Taibu cheaply at 38 for three in the seventh over, Zimbabwe were left to struggle and never found their way back despite Taylor’s efforts.
The loss was Zimbabwe’s second after they went down by six wickets in the opening four-day first class match earlier this week.
The two teams clash again tomorrow in the final T20 match at Progress Park.

ZIMBABWE innings
H. Masakadza b Holder    10
C. Chibhabha c Fudadin b Pascal    10
T. Taibu c Edwards b Shillingford    6
B. Taylor c Pascal b Khan    37
V. Sibanda c wkp. Dowrich b Shillingford    11
T. Maruma b Shillingford    0
A. Blignaut b Gabriel    0
G. Lamb c Smith b Holder    11
P. Utseya not out    15
C. Mpofu not out    5
Extras: (lb-1, w-5, nb-2)    8
Total: (8 wkts; 20 overs)    113
Fall of wickets: 1-21 2-23, 3-38, 4-52, 5-52, 6-53, 7-88, 8-99.  
Bowling: Pascal 4-0-24-1, Holder 4-0-24-2, Shillingford 4-0-14-3, Gabriel 4-1-21-1, Khan 4-0-29-1.
WEST INDIES A innings
D. Smith c Maruma b Lamb    31
J. Guillen c & b Price    1
T. Dowlin not out    49
K. Edwards c wkp. Taibu b Utseya    1
A. Fudadin c wkp. Taibu b Blignaut    6
S. Dowrich st Taibu b Maruma    14
I. Khan not out    8
Extras: (lb-1, w-3)    4     
Total: (5 wkts, 19.4 overs)    114
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-58, 3-63, 4-79, 5-98. 
Bowling: Mpofu 2-0-11-0, Price 4-0-27-1, Chibhabha 1-0-13-0, Lamb 4-0-12-1, Utseya 4-0-20-1, Maruma 3.4-0-18-1, Blignaut 1-0-12-1.