Lara leads Windies home

Brian Lara helps secure West Indies' safe passage to the Super Eight © Getty Images

West Indies booked their place in the World Cup Super Eight with a six-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in Group D at Sabina Park.

The hosts followed up their triumph over Pakistan with a hard-fought win in Jamaica which leaves Zimbabwe needing to beat Pakistan in their final group match to keep alive their hopes of pipping Ireland to the second qualifying spot.

Set a target of 203 after choosing to field first, West Indies were always ahead of the rate thanks to Chris Gayle’s entertaining 40.

They set a platform from which Brian Lara and Dwayne Bravo saw their side home with 13 balls to spare thanks to an unbroken 75-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

The elegant Gayle struck three successive huge sixes off Tawanda Mupariwa as he dominated an opening stand of 73 in 17.2 overs with Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

The flamboyant Chris Gayle sets West Indies on their way with a rapid 40 © Getty Images

But Chanderpaul fell to a slip catch by Vusi Sibanda off Elton Chigumbura moments before Gayle edged Christopher Mpofu to wicket-keeper Brendan Taylor, who parried the ball for Sibanda, wrong-footed, to take a brilliant one-handed reflex catch.

Though Ramnaresh Sarwan was caught and bowled by Anthony Ireland and Marlon Samuels drove loosely to backward point, Lara overcame a sluggish start to hit 44 not out, including the winning six, becoming the seventh batsman to score 1,000 World Cup runs in the process.

He received useful support from Bravo, who struck two sixes in his unbeaten 37.

Earlier, Brendan Taylor’s patient 50 and 70 not out from Sean Williams - his highest ODI score - helped Zimbabwe recover from a dreadful start to post a respectable total.

Taylor arrived at the crease with his side struggling on two for two after Jerome Taylor removed 18-year-old Friday Kasteni for a golden duck and Vusi Sibanda was bowled shouldering arms to Daren Powell.

Sean Williams drives through the off side as Zimbabwe recover © Getty Images

When Justice Chibhabha was beaten for pace by Taylor, Zimbabwe were perilously placed on 31 for three, and they slipped deeper into trouble as Stuart Matsikenyeri drove Dwayne Smith tamely to Powell.

But Taylor and Williams gradually laid the foundations for a defendable total while ensuring Zimbabwe batted out their full 50 overs.

Taylor was watchful until straight-driving Smith for the only six of the innings and he was starting to gather momentum when he was run out attempting a risky single shortly after bringing up his 11th one-day international fifty.

The left-handed Williams reached his half-century off 70 balls - 51 fewer than Taylor - and Zimbabwe’s 150, with an inside edge for four off Samuels.

Williams, having survived a clutch of run-out scares, was dropped by Powell at fine leg when he had made 65, but he rode his luck to take the total past 200 with the help of Elton Chigumbura, who hit a run-a-ball 30 not out to ensure West Indies’ were made to work hard for victory.