<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3><DIV class=mxb><DIV class=sh>Ruthless Windies thrash Zimbabwe </DIV></DIV></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416>Champions Trophy, qualifying round, Ahmedabad:
West Indies 90-1 (14.2 overs) bt Zimbabwe 85 (30.1 overs) by nine wickets <DIV class=arr>Match scorecard </DIV>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><DIV> <DIV class=cap>Zimbabwe declined rapidly after Chibhabha's dismissal</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Chris Gayle starred with ball and bat as holders West Indies began their ICC Champions Trophy qualifying campaign with a nine-wicket win over Zimbabwe.
Skipper Prosper Utseya (27) was one of only three Zimbabweans to make double figures as they were shot out for 85.
Jerome Taylor and Dwayne Smith took two wickets and Gayle 3-3, before surviving two dropped chances to hit a rapid 41.
Brian Lara smashed successive sixes as they eased home off only 14.2 overs - before the scheduled dinner break.
West Indies were on top as soon as Ian Bradshaw and Taylor nipped the ball back in to bowl Justice Chibhabha and Hamilton Masakadza.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5></TD><TD class=sibStdQuote><DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV id=q1></DIV>We were very clinical in our approach and bowled really well <DIV id=q2></DIV><BR clear=all></DIV></DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=mva>Brian Lara</DIV></DIV><DIV class=miiib><DIV class=arry>More reaction </DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Tafadzwa Mufambisi got into a tangle from a short delivery from Taylor and edged behind, while Brendan Taylor was run out by Chanderpaul by yards attempting a ridiculous quick single to mid-off.
Half the team was back in the pavilion when Smith found the edge of Stuart Matsikenyeri's bat and it got worse when Piet Rinke was sent back by Elton Chigumbura and was well beaten by Wavell Hinds' throw.
When Chigumbura slogged straight to Taylor at mid-off to make it 58-7, Zimbabwe were still seven runs short of the tournament's lowest score.
Utseya guided his team past that with a 41-ball show of defiance, featuring only two boundaries, until another flurry of wickets saw the innings end in 25 balls.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><DIV> <DIV class=cap>Gayle's assault helped the Windies seal a quickfire victory</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Anthony Ireland played down the wrong line to Gayle, Dwayne Bravo took a sharp catch at slip to send Ed Rainsford on his way and Utseya was last man out, plumb lbw to the part-time off-spinner.
After a quiet start against accurate bowling, in which he scored two off his first 17 balls, Gayle raced away.
He pulled Ireland for six and four off successive deliveries before clipping the seamer past short fine-leg for another boundary.
The big left-hander was spilled by Utseya running back from extra-cover and Ireland dropped an even easier chance at third man as 30 runs came in two overs.
Another rush of blood saw him finally snapped up at mid-wicket by Tafadzwa Kamungozi but Lara finished matters off in sty
West Indies 90-1 (14.2 overs) bt Zimbabwe 85 (30.1 overs) by nine wickets <DIV class=arr>Match scorecard </DIV>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><DIV> <DIV class=cap>Zimbabwe declined rapidly after Chibhabha's dismissal</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Chris Gayle starred with ball and bat as holders West Indies began their ICC Champions Trophy qualifying campaign with a nine-wicket win over Zimbabwe.
Skipper Prosper Utseya (27) was one of only three Zimbabweans to make double figures as they were shot out for 85.
Jerome Taylor and Dwayne Smith took two wickets and Gayle 3-3, before surviving two dropped chances to hit a rapid 41.
Brian Lara smashed successive sixes as they eased home off only 14.2 overs - before the scheduled dinner break.
West Indies were on top as soon as Ian Bradshaw and Taylor nipped the ball back in to bowl Justice Chibhabha and Hamilton Masakadza.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5></TD><TD class=sibStdQuote><DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV id=q1></DIV>We were very clinical in our approach and bowled really well <DIV id=q2></DIV><BR clear=all></DIV></DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=mva>Brian Lara</DIV></DIV><DIV class=miiib><DIV class=arry>More reaction </DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Tafadzwa Mufambisi got into a tangle from a short delivery from Taylor and edged behind, while Brendan Taylor was run out by Chanderpaul by yards attempting a ridiculous quick single to mid-off.
Half the team was back in the pavilion when Smith found the edge of Stuart Matsikenyeri's bat and it got worse when Piet Rinke was sent back by Elton Chigumbura and was well beaten by Wavell Hinds' throw.
When Chigumbura slogged straight to Taylor at mid-off to make it 58-7, Zimbabwe were still seven runs short of the tournament's lowest score.
Utseya guided his team past that with a 41-ball show of defiance, featuring only two boundaries, until another flurry of wickets saw the innings end in 25 balls.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><DIV> <DIV class=cap>Gayle's assault helped the Windies seal a quickfire victory</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Anthony Ireland played down the wrong line to Gayle, Dwayne Bravo took a sharp catch at slip to send Ed Rainsford on his way and Utseya was last man out, plumb lbw to the part-time off-spinner.
After a quiet start against accurate bowling, in which he scored two off his first 17 balls, Gayle raced away.
He pulled Ireland for six and four off successive deliveries before clipping the seamer past short fine-leg for another boundary.
The big left-hander was spilled by Utseya running back from extra-cover and Ireland dropped an even easier chance at third man as 30 runs came in two overs.
Another rush of blood saw him finally snapped up at mid-wicket by Tafadzwa Kamungozi but Lara finished matters off in sty
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