Embedded ball stops play

A freak mishap involving a cricket ball and a pitch roller held up play in the first Test between Zimbabwe and the West Indies on Thursday.

The incident occurred as a roller was being used on the wicket shortly before the match was due to resume on the third morning.

A practice ball hit from the outfield landed under the roller's massive cast-iron barrel and was squashed into the turf at the city end of the ground.

It left a deep hole in the hard, dry pitch, near the batting crease.

Groundstaff hoped to borrow an auger from a nearby golf club so that they could plug the hole with a lump of turf.

The match was not expected to resume before the scheduled lunch break.

At the close of play on the second day, West Indies were 109 for one in reply to Zimbabwe's first-innings total of 507 for nine declared.