Windies beat Zimbabwe, reach finals

The West Indies qualified for next week's finals against undefeated Australia by beating Zimbabwe by 44 runs in their triangular series day-night match on Friday.

Chasing just 179 to win in 50 overs, Zimbabwe lost their first four wickets for 25 in 11.3 overs and never recovered on a fast and bouncy pitch which offered plenty of assistance to the bowlers.

Paceman Nixon McLean dealt the crucial early blows by taking the first three wickets inside seven overs, and Marlon Samuels helped to wrap up the innings with three for 25.

The African side were all out for 134 in 42.3 overs despite a gallant 33 not out from captain Heath Streak.

Earlier, West Indies made 178 all out in 47.2 overs, with man-of-the-match Brian Lara left stranded on 83 off 98 balls after five of his team mates were run out, equalling the world record for run-outs in a limited overs international.

Openers Daren Ganga and Sherwin Campbell were the first to fall in this way before captain Jimmy Adams, Ridley Jacobs and Laurie Williams committed similar basic errors.

Only Ricardo Powell, with 37 off 36 balls including three fours and a six, looked capable of supporting Lara, who had come in at 24 for two in the 15th over.

Powell and Lara shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 62 off 64 balls before Powell played a sweep shot and was caught by Alistair Campbell at slip off leg-spinner Brian Murphy as the ball rebounded off the back of the bat.

Zimbabwe's hopes were swiftly dented by McLean's triple strike -- he finished with three for 21 off nine overs -- in the first, fifth and seventh overs.

Opener Guy Whittall alone offered resistance in the top order until he was sixth out at 64 in the 26th over after making 33.

Samuels put paid to Zimbabwe's lingering hopes when he grabbed the vital wicket of Dirk Viljoen for 29, caught behind by Ridley Jacobs after he had shared a seventh wicket stand of 40 with Streak.

That made Zimbabwe 104 for seven, and Samuels took two of the remaining three wickets to seal success.

West Indies won three of their eight preliminary-round matches to amass six points while Zimbabwe have one match remaining, against Australia on Sunday, but have just two points from seven games.

Scoreboard

West Indies
S.Campbell run out 0
D.Ganga run out 22
M.Samuels c Campbell b Nkala 10
B.Lara not out 83
R.Powell c Campbell b Murphy 37
J.Adams run out 8
R.Jacobs run out 9
L.Williams run out 0
M.Nagamootoo c A.Flower b Viljoen 4
N.McLean c Whittall b Streak 0
C.Cuffy lbw Viljoen 1
Extras (lb-2 w-2) 4
Total (all out, 47.2 overs) 178
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-24, 3-43, 4-105, 5-130, 6-154, 7-160, 8-171, 9-172.
Bowling: Streak 9-3-20-0, Strang 10-1-30-1, Nkala 8-0-34-2, Murphy 10-0-35-1, Viljoen 6.2-0-31-2 (w-1), Whittall 4-0-26-0 (w-1)

Zimbabwe
A.Campbell c Jacobs b McLean 1
G.Whittall lbw Nagamootoo 33
S.Carlisle c Campbell b McLean 5
A.Flower c Jacobs b McLean 4
G.Flower c Powell b Cuffy 1
T.Madondo c Campbell b Williams 10
H.Streak not out 33
D.Viljoen c Jacobs b Samuels 29
M.Nkala c McLean b Samuels 7
B.Strang run out 4
B.Murphy c Williams b Samuels 2
Extras (lb-2 w-3) 5
Total (all out, 42.3 overs) 134
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-14, 3-20, 4-25, 5-42, 6-64, 7-104, 8-125, 9-129
Bowling: McLean 9-2-21-3, Cuffy 8-4-17-1, Williams 7-0-31-1 (w-1), Nagamootoo 10-2-31-1 (w-1), Samuels 7.3-1-25-3 (w-1), Adams 1-0-7-0.

Result: West Indies won by 44 runs.

Man of the match: Brian Lara.

Next match: Australia v Zimbabwe, Perth, February 4.

Mail Cricket Editor