Gayle wins it for Windies

Chris Gayle © Getty Images

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Captain Chris Gayle led from the front as the West Indies held off a brave Scotland challenge to secure a dramatic last-over win in Dublin.

Gayle hit an unbeaten 85 as the Windies survived a mid-innings wobble to chase down their Duckworth-Lewis adjusted target of 165 in 30 overs for the loss of six wickets.

Scottish all-rounder Majid Haq had threatened to pull off a famous win when he ripped through the Windies batting line-up to record career-best figures of four wickets for 28 runs.

But Gayle and Darren Sammy’s unbeaten 18 saw them home with just a ball to spare.

Scotland had earlier defied the rain and the Windies pace attack to scramble 152 for seven from their 30 overs, thanks to a gutsy 40 from recalled batsman Navdeep Poonia.

After winning the toss and choosing to bowl Gayle’s men managed just 15 balls before the heavens opened.

Following a two-hour stoppage Daren Powell had the breakthrough when Fraser Watts edged behind to Denesh Ramdin.

In his next over he sent Haq on his way but Hampshire’s new recruit did not have things all his own way when Poonia and Ryan Watson bludgeoned 15 runs off his following over.

Dwayne Smith was also hit for 12 but the fun ended when skipper Watson nicked a Ravi Rampaul bouncer to Smith at second slip for 21.

Majid Haj and Neil McCallum celebrate © Getty Images

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Poonia was next to go when he gloved a Fidel Edwards' delivery to Ramdin and the Scots were in serious trouble when Edwards trapped Hussain lbw for 16.

The rain returned to shorten the game to 30-overs-a-side but on the resumption Neil McCallum hit four boundaries in a brisk 27 before becoming Powell’s third victim.

Colin Smith then fell to Gayle as he hit out but John Blain (seven not out) saw the Scots past 150 with a six over extra cover.

Gayle was quickly into his stride in reply, forcing Blain out of the attack with a flurry of boundaries and it seemed a question of when, not if, the Windies would win.

Gayle raced to 50 from 52 balls but the introduction of Haq in the 14th over changed the game.

He had Devon Smith caught sweeping by Watson for 32 in his first spell before returning to cause havoc with two wickets in two balls.

Runako Morton was bowled by a beauty and Lendl Simmons chopped his first ball on to move the Saltires into contention.

Dwayne Smith smashed the hat-trick ball out of the ground for six but he was then caught and bowled by Watson.

Ramdin fell for one in Haq’s next over and all of a sudden the Windies were chasing 33 to win from the final four overs.

Austin Richards added to the chaos when he recklessly charged Watson and was stumped by Smith.

But Gayle and Sammy kept their cool to whittle the target down and Dewald Nel could not prevent them taking nine runs off the final over to edge home.