Set 338 to win from a minimum of 68 overs after Middlesex declared their second innings on 222 for two thanks to Shah's belligerent knock, the tourists closed on 221 for five, Dion Ebrahim top-scoring with 64.

Shah struck an unbeaten 101 including 15 fours and four sixes as Middlesex increased their overnight score of 86 for one by a further 128 runs for the loss of another wicket in 23 overs.

Andrew Strauss, who reached 50 from 49 balls, was the only man out when he was caught by Grant Flower at deep mid-wicket off Price, but his dismissal did nothing to halt the flow of runs as did the performance of Zimbabwe bowler Mluleki Nkala, who conceded 39 from his five-over spell.

Needing to score at a fraction under five an over, Zimbabwe started tentatively, scoring 34 from the first 10 overs. Ebrahim and Mark Vermeulen then increased the tempo by adding 52 in the next 10 overs, but the latter was undone by Thos Hunt who had him caught behind for 42 by Michael Brown.

Two overs later, Hunt struck again although it was a poor shot from Barney Rogers that gave him the wicket as the batsman misjudged a pull and only succeeded in offering a simple catch to Tim Bloomfield at mid-on.

The tourists still had a chance of victory at tea as they required 221 off 38 overs, a manageable target given the placid conditions but Paul Weekes took two in three balls in the sixth over after the interval to effectively end Zimbabwe's hopes.

Sean Ervine played steadily before being bowled by Paul Weekes for 21, attempting to sweep the off-spinner, and two balls later, Vusi Sibanda was also bowled by a quicker delivery.

Ebrahim had looked relatively untroubled in making 64 from 131 balls, but four overs later he edged left-arm spinner Chris Peploe to Weekes at first slip, leaving stand-in captain Taitenda Taibu and Grant Flower to add 81 for the sixth wicket and steady the ship.

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