The West Indies emerged from the wreckage of 18 fallen wickets on the fourth day of the second Test against Zimbabwe to be on the brink of winning the match and the series.

After collapsing to 128 all out in the second innings, the West Indies' lead of 232 began to look impossible to reach as Zimbabwe batsmen were routed with stunning regularity. The home side reached stumps 9-90 and virtually certain of a fourth defeat in six Tests against the visitors.

Heath Streak and Blessing Mahwire will resume on 19 and four for the token conclusion Sunday.

It was a reversal of dominance by batsmen to bowlers rarely equalled in Test cricket. From totals of 481 and 377 during the first three days, day four produced little more than 200 runs from two innings.

It was party day for bowlers of both sides. First Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak, Ray Price and Andy Blignaut reveled in their successes. But then the celebrations centred on the West Indies' Wavell Hinds, Omari Banks and Corey Collymore.

The day began in unusual fashion when West Indies skipper Brian Lara was stung by a bee and was then yorked by Streak for only one.

The West Indies were stunned. And then they were destroyed. Apart from opener Hinds, who made a cautious 28, the biggest score of the entire day, the other six top and middle order batsmen made only 43 runs between them.

Banks and Mervyn Dillon put on 45 for the eighth wicket and it was believed at the time that this might prove decisive.

But the match-winning factor for West Indies was actually their first innings' 481 and Lara's 191. His effort, as it turned out, was not far short of the sum total of both sides' second innings.

The West Indies' collapse to 128 all out was made to appear respectable by the dismal Zimbabwe response.

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