Windies put Zimbabwe out of triseries

It's been a largely low-scoring series so far. Which, coupled with batting collapses early in the innings, has suggested that there are devils in the wickets the games are being played on.

Then again, Sachin Tendulkar in course of his measured innings on Saturday suggested that the devils were mostly in the batsman's mind and, by his manner of play, indicated that decisive foot movement was the key to not merely survival, but run accumulation, in these condtions.

That feeling was reinforced today (Sunday) in the game between a Zimbabwe struggling to stay in the tournament, and a West Indies anxious to book its finals berth ahead of the upcoming league encounter with hitherto undefeated India.

There was the usual batting collapse early on, after Windies skipper Carl Hooper called right and chose to insert the opposition.

A brilliant diving take by Ridley Jacobs, snaffling the Dion Ebrahim edge in front of first slip, started the proceedings as early as the third over and when Corey Colleymore, returning to the Caribbean lineup, got one on fullish length to seam away late to find Stuart Carlisle's edge through to first slip, Zimbabwe at 9/2 seemed set to reprise its collapses right through this series.

Cameron Cuffy has been the standout performer in the Windies bowling lineup with his immaculate control, and here again he came good when he angled one across Alistair Campbell, brought it back in off the seam just enough to find the edge and reduced Zimbabwe to 27/3 in the 13th over.

Till that point, discipline had been the Caribbean key, both with the ball and in the field. However, as Craig Wishart and Grant Flower mounted a recovery and, after an early period of occupation, began moving nicely around the crease and working the runs, that discipline gave way.

Calculated batting and a deteriorating performance by the Windies enabled Zimbabwe to progress steadily (95/3 in 25 over, 124/3 in 30). Wishart -- who strangely seems to yo yo in and out of the Zimbabwe lineup -- played the aggressor while Grant Flower seemed content to rotate strike and let his partner do the hard work.

As both batsmen gained in confidence and the Windies attack, in which seven bowlers were pressed into service, wilted, the run rate accelerated with the fourth wicket pair bringing up the century partnership off just 115 balls.

Zimbabwe in fact seemed set for a really big score when Dillon struck with a bad delivery. The ball, short and wide of off, saw Wishart slashing hard in an attempt to hit over point. The batsman however ended up slashing the thick top edge down to third man, to end a combative innings of 71 off just 86 balls.

This was in the 35th over (153/4) and from there on, Grant Flower took over, upping gears and taking on himself the onus of run-scoring. With Guy Whittall slipping into the strike-rotator's role, Grant opened out in a blistering assault, whacking Merwyn Dillon for two big sixes and kicking the innings into high gear. An attempt to go down on one knee and loft Dillon over long on, in the 47th over, however saw the batsman hole out, failing to get under the ball, to wide long on. His innings of 94 off 107 balls had, however, dragged Zimbabwe back from the brink and pushed it into a good position.

Whittall and Blignaut took the home team through to 255/5 in the allotted 50 overs, setting the Windies a tough chase.

In contrast to Zimbabwe, the Windies openers played with their heads down, batting with calm assurance and an absolute absence of fluster to stitch together a 93-run opening stand in 23 overs. Darren Ganga and Chris Gayle, after their initial spell of steady accumulation, were in fact just beginning to open out when a needless mix up saw the former run out, taking off to a push to the on side and failing to get back in time to beat Andy Blignaut's throw to the keeper.

Wavell Hinds came in at one drop and, like Gayle and Ganga, eschewed flamboyant strokeplay and settled down to controlled run-accumulation. At the halfway stage, Windies had made 105/1 -- a comfortable position to be in, as contrasted with the 95/3 Zimbabwe had managed earlier in the day.

As with the bat, so with the ball it was Grant Flower who pulled his side back into the game with a tight, economical spell of bowling in the middle overs. Thanks largely to his efforts, Windies were pegged back to 128/1 at the 30 over mark (124/3 Zimbabwe) and gradually, the asking rate began climbing.

The escalating run rate called for drastic remedies, and Gayle attempted to provide it, going down on bended knee to loft Grant Flower over midwicket from outside off. He however failed to get the full extension of his front foot, and ended up top-edging for Blignaut to hold the skier easily on the on side. Gayle's 76 off 96 had helped the Windies cause immeasurably, but his dismissal came at just the wrong moment in the chase.

Zimbabwe for its part was hampered by an injury to Brian Murphy while fielding, which meant their lead spinner could not bowl. To make up, Zimbabwe fielded like men possessed -- but ironically, gave away a chance in the field when Shivnaraine Chanderpaul attempted a tight second run to a flick to backward square. The throw was some distance away from the stumps, Tatenda Taibu the dimunitive keeper did well to gather it but in his rush, missed the bails with his attempted stumping and permitted the batsman to dive into his crease (39th over, 172/2).

The last ball of the 40th over produced a freaky dismissal. Alistair Campbell, filling in with his occasional spin in place of Murphy, swung one around from off to midwicket, but in the proces lost his grip on the bat, which crashed into his stumps. Campbell stood his ground, reasoning perhaps that since he was not holding the bat when it hit the stumps he could not be deemed out -- the third umpire, after consulting the rule book, deemed otherwise however and Windies went into the straight with the score on 177/3 in 40 overs, needing to score at just under 8 an over over the last ten.

Ironically, Campbell who brought Zimbabwe back into the game with that wicket then proved costly when, in the 43rd over, he bowled two rank bad balls which were gratefully despatched over the fence by Wavell Hinds (203/3). An over later, however, Hinds was walking back for a well made 54, driving at a slanting delivery from Heath Streak without much footwork, and touching through to Taibu.

After 45 overs, both teams were deadlocked on 219/4. And Windies needed 37 more, off the next 30 deliveries.

With both teams desperate to win -- and Zimbabwe the more desperate of the two -- it was inevitable that the pressure told on the bowling side. More so because the chasing team had the luxury of wickets in hand in a run a ball situation. A wayward Streak helped the Windies reduce that equation and after 46 (Streak), it was down to 25 off 24 with the canny Hooper and the potentially dangerous Jacobs at the crease. Blignaut next up, and 47 ended with 19 off 18 the ask.

Streak risked all in the 48th, bringing Grant Flower on for the one over he had left in his spell. And it paid off -- Hooper chipped the first ball of the over straight down the throat of long off, attempted to drive on the rise and playing too early to a slower one on line of off, ending a cameo of 24 off 21 and bringing the home team right back into the game.

From then on, it wasn't pretty -- but Marlon Samuels and Ridley Jacobs, whirling their bats around in a fashion that could, in any other situation, have had the local police labelling them as "armed and dangerous", whittled it down to 5 needed off the last over of the innings, from Streak.

A dot ball first up as Samuels heaved and missed (5/5). An incredible single to a push back to the bowler off the second (4/4). Another single third ball, Jacobs hitting the ball on the run (3/3). Another Samuels hit straight to midwicket and another hairy single (2/2). A full toss, flicked for four through midwicket off the penultimate ball, and it was all over for Zimbabwe.

Scorecard