Zimbabwe 114 for 3 (Kaia 59*, Brathwaite 1-5, Motie 1-25) trail West Indies 447 for 6 dec (Chanderpaul 207*, Brathwaite 182, Mavuta 5-140) by 333 runs

With 99 overs lost to rain and West Indies managing to score just 221 runs in 89 overs across the first two days, they needed to up the rate to have any chance of forcing a result, and Brathwaite took on the challenge. He was proactive from the get-go and brought out a number of shots that were at odds with his naturally defensive style of play.

He struck Richard Ngarava for three successive fours in the third over of the day before slamming Victor Nyauchi for two more. Brathwaite hit six fours in his first 16 balls of the day, and soon brought up a third score in excess of 150 in Test cricket. He was rather agricultural in his shot-making, often moving in his crease and looking for gaps on the on side, a method probably inspired by Zimbabwe's seven-two off-side heavy field.

Chanderpaul was more measured in his approach and collected a four only in the 21st over of the day. But he rotated the strike at every chance possible.

Chanderpaul got a life when he was dropped first ball after the break, with Tsiga again failing to latch on. However, Mavuta continued to keep the ball in good areas and was rewarded with the wickets of Raymon Reifer and Jermaine Blackwood in quick succession.

Chanderpaul went after Masakadza, smashing him for a four and a six in an over to move swiftly through the 180s even as Mavuta continued to pick up wickets at the other end. The legspinner had Roston Chase edging for 7 before removing Jason Holder to claim his maiden five-wicket haul.

With the sun baking down on the Bulawayo surface, batting on the third evening became a touch easier, and the openers made it count. Kaia was the aggressor, often bringing out expansive cuts and pulls, while Makoni was committed to the front foot. The opposition captain Brathwaite rang in the changes, but there was little on offer for the bowlers as the pair raised the 50-run stand in 22 overs.

Kaia continued playing his strokes, and brought up his maiden Test fifty with a hard sweep through midwicket off Motie. Just when Zimbabwe would have harboured hopes of going into stumps two down, Brathwaite brought himself on and cleaned up his opposite number Craig Ervine off what turned out to be the last ball of the day.