The West Indies made a solid start to their innings after dismissing Zimbabwe for 326 on the second day of the second Test at Queens Sports Club on Monday.
After the home side were bowled out in the hour after lunch, West Indies openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell cautiously guided their side through 16 overs to reach tea on 25 without loss.
Brathwaite saw off 60 deliveries for his unbeaten 13, while Powell was 10 not out from 36 balls.
Zimbabwe’s innings was built on the back of Hamilton Masakadza’s superb 147 and Sikandar Raza’s crucial 80.
The pair resumed their fifth-wicket partnership on the second morning with Zimbabwe on 169 for four, and extended the stand to 90 as they saw off the first 21 overs of the day.
However Zimbabwe fell from 146 for four to 267 for seven when Masakadza top-edged a delivery from legspinner Devendra Bishoo and was caught by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, and Malcolm Waller and Regis Chakabva both departed cheaply.
Sikandar Raza stabilised the innings briefly alongside captain Graeme Cremer, but the West Indies took the second new ball after lunch and needed just 55 deliveries to wrap up the tail.
Sikandar Raza was caught at second slip off the bowling of Shannon Gabriel, while Cremer was run out and debutant Tendai Chisoro was trapped lbw by Kemar Roach, who finished with figures of 3 for 44.