Impressive bowling from Fidel Edwards, as well as a dominant batting performance, paved the way for West Indies to complete an 82-run win in the fourth one-day international against Zimbabwe at Bourda Oval on Sunday.
Edwards snared three wickets for 42 runs from his allotment of 10 overs, as Zimbabwe, chasing 334 for victory, were restricted to 251 for seven to hand West Indies an unstoppable 3-0 lead in the seven-match series.
Zimbabwe never had a chance once Edwards removed opening batsmen Piet Rinke and skipper Terrence Duffin for ducks in the space of four balls in the first over.
Elton Chigumbura and Vusimuzi Sibanda took the opportunity to enhance their reputations with meaningful half-centuries that were the backbone of the visitors' innings before Edwards and Tino Best, respectively, removed them.
Chigumbura hit four fours and three sixes in 60 at a run-a-ball and Sibanda supported with nine boundaries in 52 from 73 deliveries. Led by half-centuries from Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Runako Morton, and Brian Lara, West Indies, choosing to bat on a hard, true pitch under sunny skies, totalled 333 for six from their allocation of 50 overs. Chanderpaul, playing in his first match on home soil since resigning the West Indies captaincy, won tumultuous applause when he arrived at the wicket and entertained the near capacity crowd with nine fours and three sixes in 93 from 82 balls.
He gained support from Morton, who struck nine fours and one six in 79 from 82 balls, and skipper Lara, who collected nine fours in 56 from 45 balls, to get the ball rolling in the early part of the innings.
The series continues on Wednesday, when the two sides contest the first day/night ODI in the Caribbean at St. Lucia's Beausejour Stadium, followed by back-to-back matches next weekend at Trinidad & Tobago's Queen's Park Oval.
WEST INDIES:
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S Chattergoon run out (Sibanda) 9
R Morton c Rainsford b Utseya 79
B Lara c Taylor b Mupariwa 56
S Chanderpaul b Rainsford 93
R Sarwan c Coventry b Rinke 40
M Samuels b Chibhabha 9
D Smith not out 23
D Ramdin not out 3
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EXTRAS: (B-5, LB-1, W-6, NB-9) 21
TOTAL: (for 6 wkts) 333
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DID NOT BAT: T Best, F Edwards, C Collymore
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-36, 2-145, 3-166, 4-251, 5-280, 6-312
BOWLING: Rainsford 10-0-56-1; Mahwire 8-0-67-0 (nb2, w2); Mupariwa 10-0-61-1 (w2); Utseya 10-1-48-1 (nb2); Chibhabha 8-0-65-0 (nb4, w2); Rinke 4-0-30-1 (nb1)
OVERS: 50
ZIMBABWE:
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P Rinke b Edwards 0
T Duffin c Ramdin b Edwards 0
J Chibhabha b Samuels 40
B Taylor lbw b Smith 26
V Sibanda b Best 52
E Chigumbura c Morton b Edwards 60
C Coventry b Samuels 12
B Mahwire not out 22
T Mupariwa not out 11
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EXTRAS: (B-1, LB-9, W-13, NB-5) 28
TOTAL: (for 7 wkts) 251
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