Chanderpaul leads Windies
six-wicket to victory

Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored an electrifying 108 off 133 balls to carry the West Indies to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second one-day international on Saturday.

The West Indies reached the target of 248 in 49.1 overs when Brian Lara sealed the game with a cover drive for four to take the home side to 250 for four.

Chanderpaul justified the decision to elevate him to the opening slot after batting well in the recent series against India, to give the West Indies a 1-0 lead in the series.

Chanderpaul and fellow-left-hand opener Chris Gayle started briskly, coping well with the pacey bowling of fit-again Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey.

Chanderpaul's wristy strokes provided a contrast to Gayle's powerful hitting and both men found the boundary early in the innings.

Gayle was lucky to escape when a Daryl Tuffey delivery seemed to carry to wicketkeeper Chris Nevin in the second over, but umpire Eddie Nichols ignored the loud appeal.

Tuffey was rewarded for his persistence when Gayle flighted a drive into Daniel Vettori's hands at mid-off. Gayle scored 30 runs for an eleven-over stand of 55 with Chanderpaul.

The West Indies run-rate dropped sharply with the arrival of third man Ramnaresh Sarwan.

New Zealand set a more aggressive field and slow bowlers Vettori and Chris Harris kept the batsmen hemmed in for long spells, broken up by solid bowling by debutante Paul Hitchcock.

Chanderpaul continued to accumulate and reached his 50 with another fine stroke to the offside boundary before Hitchcock bowled Sarwan.

West Indies captain Carl Hooper then joined Chanderpaul and the run rate rose rapidly as both attacked the Kiwi attack. Hitchcock looked rattled when he bowled a high no-ball in the 46th over, but destroyed Hooper's stumps with a fine inswinging yorker from the very next ball. Hooper scored 47 at a run a ball.

Chanderpaul reached his 100 in the 48th over by nudging another Hitchcock yorker to fine leg, and received a standing ovation.

New Zealand kept the pressure on when Vettori caught Ridley Jacobs from a Hitchcock delivery to leave West Indies needing 16 runs off 16 balls. But Lara and Chanderpaul accumulated the remaining runs before Lara sealed the victory.

Earlier Blacks Caps captain Stephen Fleming and Scott Styris provided some batting heroics as New Zealand recovered from 114 for five to score 248 for seven in their 50 overs.

Fleming scored 89 sharing in a crucial 91-run sixth-wicket partnership with Styris who scored a big-hitting 85 to provide the backbone of the innings.

West Indies medium pace bowler Pedro Collins was the main threat finishing with three for 33 runs in nine overs.

Mail Cricket Editor