The Guyanese right-hander, dropped from the West Indies senior side for the five-match one-day Zimbabwe series last month and for the upcoming Twenty20 World Championship, stroked a solid 84 to push the hosts to 254 for five at the close, in response to Zimbabwe’s paltry 183 all out on Friday.
Striding to the wicket after West Indies A lost quick wickets in the morning session to slip to 63 for two and then 92 for three, Dowlin produced a classy innings to steady his side and put them on top.
He shared a crucial 125-run stand for the fourth wicket with Barbados batsman Kirk Edwards who hit a compact unbeaten 62.
Dowlin counted nine fours in an innings that lasted 143 balls and spanned 233 minutes, before he was eventually caught at mid-wicket by Tendai Chatara off leg-spinner Graeme Cremer at 217 for four.
Edwards, meanwhile, hit six fours and has so far faced 142 balls in 169 minutes at the crease.
Resuming from their 51 without loss overnight, West Indies A lost their openers early as 24-year-old right-arm seamer Christopher Mpofu made two early breakthroughs.
The prolific Kraigg Brathwaite added just four to his overnight 26 before edging to Brendan Taylor at second slip and Justin Guillen had also added just another four to his 21 not out when he was trapped lbw at 63 for two.
Left-handed Jason Haynes stroked three crisp boundaries in scoring 17 from 37 balls before he edged googly bowler Timycen Maruma to Taylor at slip.
It paved the way for the outstanding partnership between Dowlin and Edwards as they dominated Zimbabwe’s bowlers to haul West Indies A back into the contest.
Mpofu has been Zimbabwe’s best bowler with three for 34.
SCOREBOARD
ZIMBABWE 1st Innings 183 (Tatenda Taibu 86 not out; Shane Shillingford 4-48)
WEST INDIES A 1st Innings
K Brathwaite c Taylor
b Mpofu 30
J Guillen lbw b Mpofu 25
J Haynes c Taylor b Maruma 17
*T Dowlin c Chatara
b Cremer 84
K Edwards not out 62
+S Dowrich b Mpofu 17
I Khan not out 6
Extras: (b-5, lb-5, w-1, nb-2) 13
TOTAL: (5 wkts, 95 overs) 254
Fall of wickets: 1-62, 2-63, 3-92, 4-217, 5-246.
To bat: N Pascal, S Shillingford, S Gabriel, B Bess.
Bowling: Mpofu 20-10-34-3, Chatara 18-2-62-0, Cremer 23-3-53-1, Chibhabha 11-4-24-0, Maruma 16-2-55-1, Blignaut 7-2-16-0.
Position: West Indies A lead by 71 runs.
