Zimbabwe pile more agony on Windies(05-Mar-2010)
Zimbabwe heaped further misery on West Indies after completing a stunning two-run victory in the first one-day international in Guyana.
Just days after pulling off a shock Twenty20 victory in Trinidad, Zimbabwe struck first in the five-match series to condemn new Windies coach Ottis Gibson to his second defeat in charge.
The victory was set up courtesy of opening batsman Vusi Sibanda's well-crafted 95 as Zimbabwe compiled a testing 254-5 after winning the toss and electing to bat.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul did his best to pull off a rescue act with a quickfire 70, however the hosts came up short yet again as the Africans celebrated another famous victory.
Sibanda was the backbone of the Zimbabwe innings with a knock of 95 off 162 deliveries, but his patient stay meant it was left to those around him to provide the impetus.
First Hamilton Masakadza scored 41 in an opening stand of 67, smashing consecutive boundaries off Kieron Pollard, before being adjudged lbw to Nikita Miller.
Then Tatenda Taibu took over, plundering 56 off 54 balls. The former captain managed just 12 from his first 25 balls, before taking a shine to spinner Miller, claiming three consecutive boundary fours in an over worth 18.
The pair shared a second-wicket stand of exactly 100 before Taibu was eventually trapped lbw by Pollard and Brendan Taylor was run out for just one.
Zimbabwe all-rounder Elton Chigumbura blazed 27 off 22 balls late on, and, despite Sibanda falling just short of a deserved century, the tourists could be content with their challenging total.
The West Indies innings began in similar fashion to that of their opponents, with captain Chris Gayle the aggressor and Adrian Barath the lynchpin.
Gayle took a liking to the spin of Prosper Utseya, smashing him for a six and a four in one over, before cracking debutant Shingirai Masakadza for another maximum.
Gayle reverse swept Graeme Cremer for four to bring up his 50, but fell lbw to off-spinner Greg Lamb shortly after.
Barath also departed shortly after reaching his half century, getting over-ambitious and chopping a shortish Chigumbura delivery onto his stumps with the score on 126.
Andre Fletcher (6), Narsingh Deonarine (17) and Pollard (5) came and went quickly, leaving Chanderpaul to shoulder the burden again for West Indies.
He reached 50 with a mistimed sweep, but the run rate rose steadily until he drove Chigumbura for six off a no ball then scrambled back for two off the free hit.
The West Indian talisman hit eight more off three balls in the 48th over, but then smashed a Masakadza delivery straight to Chigumbura at long off.
That appeared to be the chase over, but Miller launched Masakadza for six off the first ball of the last over, then sliced a four to third man.
But, with only four runs required off the final three balls, Masakadza hit back, claiming wickets off the fourth and fifth balls of the over to seal a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Just days after pulling off a shock Twenty20 victory in Trinidad, Zimbabwe struck first in the five-match series to condemn new Windies coach Ottis Gibson to his second defeat in charge.
The victory was set up courtesy of opening batsman Vusi Sibanda's well-crafted 95 as Zimbabwe compiled a testing 254-5 after winning the toss and electing to bat.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul did his best to pull off a rescue act with a quickfire 70, however the hosts came up short yet again as the Africans celebrated another famous victory.
Sibanda was the backbone of the Zimbabwe innings with a knock of 95 off 162 deliveries, but his patient stay meant it was left to those around him to provide the impetus.
First Hamilton Masakadza scored 41 in an opening stand of 67, smashing consecutive boundaries off Kieron Pollard, before being adjudged lbw to Nikita Miller.
Then Tatenda Taibu took over, plundering 56 off 54 balls. The former captain managed just 12 from his first 25 balls, before taking a shine to spinner Miller, claiming three consecutive boundary fours in an over worth 18.
The pair shared a second-wicket stand of exactly 100 before Taibu was eventually trapped lbw by Pollard and Brendan Taylor was run out for just one.
Zimbabwe all-rounder Elton Chigumbura blazed 27 off 22 balls late on, and, despite Sibanda falling just short of a deserved century, the tourists could be content with their challenging total.
The West Indies innings began in similar fashion to that of their opponents, with captain Chris Gayle the aggressor and Adrian Barath the lynchpin.
Gayle took a liking to the spin of Prosper Utseya, smashing him for a six and a four in one over, before cracking debutant Shingirai Masakadza for another maximum.
Gayle reverse swept Graeme Cremer for four to bring up his 50, but fell lbw to off-spinner Greg Lamb shortly after.
Barath also departed shortly after reaching his half century, getting over-ambitious and chopping a shortish Chigumbura delivery onto his stumps with the score on 126.
Andre Fletcher (6), Narsingh Deonarine (17) and Pollard (5) came and went quickly, leaving Chanderpaul to shoulder the burden again for West Indies.
He reached 50 with a mistimed sweep, but the run rate rose steadily until he drove Chigumbura for six off a no ball then scrambled back for two off the free hit.
The West Indian talisman hit eight more off three balls in the 48th over, but then smashed a Masakadza delivery straight to Chigumbura at long off.
That appeared to be the chase over, but Miller launched Masakadza for six off the first ball of the last over, then sliced a four to third man.
But, with only four runs required off the final three balls, Masakadza hit back, claiming wickets off the fourth and fifth balls of the over to seal a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.