All-rounder Dwayne Bravo and compatriot Dave Mohammed wrecked Zimbabwe’s batting to leave West Indies with a modest victory target of 153 in the fifth One-day International on Wednesday at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.
Bravo captured three wickets for 24 runs from 9,2 overs and Mohammed collected three for 37 from 10 overs on his ODI debut, as Zimbabwe were dismissed for 152 in 49,2 overs after choosing to bat in the first day/night ODI in the Caribbean.
Diminutive batsman Gregory Strydom cracked four fours and two sixes in the top score of 48 from 73 balls.
Zimbabwe captain Terrence Duffin supported with a painstaking 38 and Brendon Taylor gathered 21 at close to a run-a-ball.
Zimbabwe never recovered, after Mohammed bowled Vusimuzi Sibanda for four in the 19th over to leave Zimbabwe on 48 for three.
The Zimbabweans had suffered an early setback, when opener Piet Rinke was caught at second slip off Taylor in the second over for his second duck in as many matches.
Taylor then came to the wicket and with Duffin got things moving before he was caught at mid-on off Bravo for 21 in the 16th over.
Zimbabwe continued to lose wickets steadily, but Mohammed struck two telling blows in the 40th over, when he removed Keith Dabengwa, who hit his wicket for seven and bowled Blessing Mahwire for a duck.
Strydom entered during this period and was inching his way to his half-century and added a vital 40 with Tawanda Mupariwa for the eighth wicket before he was bowled by Bravo.
Mupariwa was subsequently removed, bowled by Jerome Taylor for 11.
West Indies, who lead the series 3-0, after back-to-back victories by five wickets and 98 runs at St John’s and an 82-run triumph last Sunday at Georgetown, made four changes to their side for the first day/night ODI to be contested in the Caribbean.
Chris Gayle, Bravo, Mohammed, and Jerome Taylor replaced Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Smith, Tino Best and Fidel Edwards in the starting 11.
Zimbabwe made three changes, bringing in Strydom, Keith Dabengwa, and Anthony Ireland for Justice Chibhabha, Charles Coventry, and Edward Rainsford.
The series concludes on the weekend with a double-header at Port of Spain’s Queen’s Park Oval. – Sapa-AFP