Spinner Ray Price claimed Test-best figures of six for 73 but Zimbabwe were unable to ram home their advantage on the fourth day of the first Test against West Indies on Friday.

The home team closed on 94 for four in their second innings, a lead of 266, when bad light ended play just over four overs early.

Almost two hours were also lost to rain during the day.

The West Indies, resuming on 241 for six in reply to Zimbabwe's first inning of 507 for nine declared, had earlier saved the follow on before being dismissed for 335.

It was Price's fourth five-wicket haul in Tests.

The 27-year-old left-armer, no great spinner of the ball but with the aggression of a fast bowler, opened the bowling on Friday with off spinner Trevor Gripper.

The pair found turn and bounce with the old ball on a wearing surface, bowling in tandem for 13 overs before the new ball was taken.

Fast bowler Heath Streak then broke the seventh-wicket stand at 50 when he trapped Shivnarine Chanderpaul in front for 36.

Four overs later Price, in his 15th Test, induced a loose drive from the other overnight batsman, Vasbert Drakes, who was caught by Streak at extra cover for 31.

That reduced the visitors to 298 for eight, 10 runs shy of the follow-on target.

Jerome Taylor and Corey Collymore, however, nursed them to safety before Collymore drove limply at Price and was caught by Craig Wishart at slip for nine.

The innings ended 13 overs after lunch when Fidel Edwards, on 18, sent a leading edge looping to Stuart Matsikenyeri at mid-off to earn Price his sixth wicket.

Streak, who bowled to five slips just before lunch, obtained swing and consistent away movement off the seam to take two for 74.

Zimbabwe have played four previous Tests against West Indies, losing three and drawing the other. The second and final Test starts in Bulawayo on November 12.

Scoreboard:

Zimbabwe first innings 507-9 decl (H.Streak 127, A.Blignaut 91, T.Taibu 83, S.Matsikenyeri 57; Edwards 5-133)

Scorecard:

West Indies first innings: (overnight 241-6)
C.Gayle lbw b Streak 14
W.Hinds c Blignaut b Mahwire 79
D.Ganga b Mahwire 73
B.Lara c Mahwire b Price 29
R.Sarwan lbw b Price 9
S.Chanderpaul lbw b Streak 36
R.Jacobs c Vermeulen b Price 5
V.Drakes c Streak b Price 31
J.Taylor c Wishart b Price 9
C.Collymore not out 11
F.Edwards c Matsikenyeri b Price 18

Extras: (b-7 lb-7 nb-4 w-3) 21

Total: (all out, 114.2 overs) 335

Fall of wickets: 1-50 2-127 3-179 4-211 5-215 6-240 7-290 8-298 9-309

Bowling: Blignaut 14-3-68-0 (nb-3 w-1), Streak 28-9-74-2 (nb-1), Mahwire 25-7-75-2 (w-1), Price 37.2-13-73-6, Matsikenyeri 2-0-10-0, Gripper 8-1-21-0 (w-1).

Zimbabwe second innings:
V.Sibanda c Ganga b Collymore 16
T.Gripper lbw b Drakes 26
M.Vermeulen c Chanderpaul b Edwards 2
S.Carlisle lbw b Drakes 8
C.Wishart not out 25
S Matsikenyeri not out 1

Extras: (b-8 nb-6) 14 

Total: (for four wickets, 31.4 overs) 94

Fall of wickets: 1-21 2-27 3-60 4-90

Bowling: Collymore 10-2-34-1 (nb-3), Edwards 11-4-27-1 (nb-1), Drakes 10.4-2-25-2.