Zimbabwe clinch four-wicket victory in nervy encounter

Zimbabwe successfully recovered from their chastening 38 all out on Saturday to defeat a West Indies side that looks ill at ease after a spate of injuries, disciplinary problems and a three-Test drumming by Sri Lanka.

The four-wicket victory, played out in front of empty Sinhalese Sports Club stadium, ended a 28-match run stretching back 10-months in which Zimbabwe had not beaten any team bar Bangladesh.

Indeed, so lackluster does the West Indies team now look, that one would fear for them in a series against Bangladesh. Their batting was sloppy, fielding nervy and bowling unthreatening, which was hardly unexpected after their best two bowlers, Dinanath Ramnarine (side injury) and Mervyn Dillon (disciplinary reasons), had been sent home.

West Indies - unsurprisingly asked to bat first when Zimbabwean captain Stuart Carlisle won the toss for the first time all tour - failed to capitalise on an easy-paced pitch that had long since lost the moisture that had assisted Chaminda Vaas yesterday, as they were bowled out for 173 by Zimbabwe's makeshift spin attack and plodding seamers.

Zimbabwe too looked short of confidence and edged towards the winning target with the uncertain air of a side too used to failure. However, thanks to a chancy 30 from Grant Flower, a responsible 47 from Carlisle and an unbeaten 48 from Andy Flower, they eventually secured victory with 1.5 overs to spare.

West Indies batting faltered right from the start as Chris Gayle recorded his fourth duck in consecutive international matches; a slump that stretches back to the second Test in Kandy. This time, though, it wasn't his technique that was at fault, but his running, as Dion Ebrahim threw down the stumps from backward point.

Heath Streak then managed what the Sri Lankans have failed to do all tour: dismiss Brian Lara cheaply. The star left-hander walked across his stumps and was trapped lbw for two (nine for two).

Ramnaresh Sarwan and Daren Ganga rescued the innings with a forthright 57 run partnership for the third wicket. Ganga went on to score 59, his fifth one-day fifty, but Sarwan, uncharacteristically, threw away his wicket with an ungainly swipe across the line to be clean bowled for 36 (66 for three).

Carl Hooper was then run out for five after Ganga tried to nudge a quick single on the off-side, only to see his plan anticipated by the energetic Henry Olonga, who fielded in his follow through and knocked down the stumps with an underarm flick (77 for four).

Ganga partially made amends in a 60 run stand with Marlon Samuels before Grant Flower's innocuous looking spinners swung the match firmly towards Zimbabwe, as Samuels (32) chipped a catch to mid-wicket and Ganga was caught and bowled (152 for six).

Thereafter, Zimbabwe's fast bowers chipped away at the lower order. Ridley Jacobs tried to rally but, running out of partners, was eventually last man out for 20 as Streak took a smart, juugling catch on the mid-wicket boundary.

Zimbabwe's start didn't engender great confidence, as Dion Ebrahim was trapped lbw for his second consecutive golden duck to the first ball of the innings.

But Grant Flower, missed on 19 when wicket-keeper Jacobs should have dived in front of first slip and on 26 when Ganga dropped a dolly at mid-on, added 59 with Carlisle to steady dressing room nerves.

Those nerves started to fray again when Carlise was third man out for 47 (96 for three) as Craig Wishart (12), Douglas Marillier (5) and Tatenda Taibu (0) were dismissed cheaply.

However a calming innings from the prolific Andy Flower, coupled with some solid lower order support from the experienced Heath Streak (19*), saw the Zimbabwean's home.