PROVIDENCE, March 7, (AP): Captain Chris Gayle and Narsingh Deonarine hit half centuries to steer West Indies to a series-leveling four-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the second one-day cricket international at Guyana National Stadium on Saturday.
Gayle struck a top score of 88 off 111 deliveries as West Indies reached the victory target of 208-6 with 13 balls to spare.
Fellow left-hander Deonarine was unbeaten on 65. His innings, which spanned 85 balls and was spiced with six fours and a six, earned him the man of the match award.
Left-arm spinner Ray Price (2-31) and legspinner Graeme Cremer (2-44) led Zimbabwe’s attack.
Earlier, Nikita Miller’s career-best 4-43 and pacer Kemar Roach’s 3-27 helped limit Zimbabwe to 206 all out off 49.5 overs.
Allrounder Elton Chigumbura topscored with 50 off 72 balls and Brendan Taylor added 47 off 66 deliveries.
Gayle provided the hosts with a boundary-studded start to their pursuit, blasting four fours and two sixes before he lost his opening partner Adrian Barath to Price at 44-1.
When a rampant Price removed David Bernard three runs later, Gayle became becalmed as he led the rebuilding effort.
He added 35 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul (10) before the experienced Guyanese was lbw to the miserly Greg Lamb.
The innings was at the crossroads when Andre Fletcher was beaten and bowled through the gate by a Cremer googly at 85-4.
Deonarine was positive from the time he came to the crease and outscored his skipper in a fifth-wicket stand of 83 that tilted the balance to West Indies.
Gayle, misstumped twice (on 50 and 53) by Tatenda Taibu off Cremer, was in sight of a 20th one-day ton when he was bowled by Cremer to rattle West Indian nerves. Gayle slammed seven fours and two sixes.
Kieron Pollard, the Indian Premier League millionaire, added to the tension when he gifted his wicket for 7 at 187-6 but Deonarine sensibly steered his side home.
He and Darren Sammy shared an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 21 off 20 balls to seal the win.
Earlier, Zimbabwe stuttered after winning the toss and batting as both openers fell cheaply.
Vusi Sibanda, man of the match for his 95 on Thursday, fell in the first over for 5 as he tried for a suicidal single and was run out by Roach in his follow through.
Roach also claimed Hamilton Masakadza (14), whose upper cut went straight to third man at 34-2.
Taylor and wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu shared a third-wicket rescue of 59 before the spin of Gayle and Miller sparked a mid-innings collapse.
Scoreboard
ZIMBABWE:
Hamilton Masakadza c Miller b Roach    14
Vusi Sibanda run out Roach    5
Brendan Taylor lbw b Gayle    47
Tatenda Taibu c Chanderpaul b Miller    31
Stuart Matsikenyeri c Gayle b Miller    2
Greg Lamb c and b Miller     23
Elton Chigumbura c Deonarine b Roach    50
Graeme Cremer b Miller    17
Prosper Utseya not out    6
Ray Price b Roach    0
Chris Mpofu run out (Gayle/Fletcher)    0
Extras: (b-1, lb-5, w-5)    11
TOTAL: (all out, 49.5 overs)    206
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-34, 3-93, 4-100, 5-107, 6-180, 7-183, 8-205, 9-206, 10-206.
Bowling: Kemar Roach 9.5-0-37-3, David Bernard 4-1-22-0 (1w), Sulieman Benn 9-1-37-0, Darren Sammy 5-0-17-0, Chris Gayle 10-0-25-1 (1w), Nikita Miller 9-0-43-4 (2w), Kieron Pollard 3-0-19-0 (1w).
WEST INDIES:
Chris Gayle b Cremer    88
Adrian Barath lbw b Price     7
David Bernard st Taibu b Price    1
Shivnarine Chanderpaul lbw b Lamb    10
Andre Fletcher b Cremer    0
Narsingh Deonarine not out    65
Kieron Pollard c Sibanda b Taylor    7
Darren Sammy                    not out    9
Extras: (lb-4, w-16, nb-1)    21
TOTAL: (for six wickets, 47.5 overs)    208
Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-47, 3-82, 4-85, 5-168, 6-187.
Did not bat: Nikita Miller, Sulieman Benn, Kemar Roach.
Bowling: Prosper Utseya 10-0-53-0, Ray Price 8.5-0-31-2 (3w), Chris Mpofu 4-1-30-0 (4w), Greg Lamb 10-2-23-1 (6w), Graeme Cremer 10-0-44-2 (1w), Stuart Matsikenyeri 2-0-8-0 (w2), Elton Chigumbura 2-0-9-0 (1nb), Brendan Taylor 1-0-6-1.
Results: West Indies won by four wickets.
Man of the match: Narsingh Deonarine.
Toss: Zimbabwe.
Umpire: Clyde Duncan, Guyana, and Simon Taufel, Australia.
TV umpire: Norman Malcolm, Jamaica. Referee: Roshan Mahanama, Sri Lanka.