BULAWAYO (Zimbabwe), Dec 7: Half-centuries by Runako Morton and Marlon Samuels guided the West Indies to a five-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the fourth One-day International here on Friday, taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Zimbabwe scored 232-9 after being put in to bat, and the West Indies replied with 234-5 to win with three overs to spare.

Morton scored 79 while Samuels made 62, and they shared 105 runs for the third wicket.

Earlier, Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza put on 167, Zimbabwe’s biggest opening stand in one-day matches. The previous record of 161 was set by the Flower brothers, Grant and Andy, against Bangladesh in 1997.

Sibanda and Masakadza kept the runs flowing until the 37th over, when leg-spinner Rawl Lewis had Masakadza stumped for 80. Bravo eventually made amends in the 43rd over, when his throw from cover to the non-striker’s end ran out Sibanda for 96.

Brendan Taylor’s 26 not out was the home side’s only other score in double figures as nine wickets fell for 65 runs in 13 overs.

Fast bowler Jerome Taylor profitted handsomely from Zimbabwe’s inept batting by taking 5-48.

The West Indies slipped to 62-2 in the 14th over of their reply, but Morton and Samuels steadied the innings with their century stand.

Bravo hastened the end of the match by scoring an unbeaten 41 off as many balls.

The last match of the series will be played here in Bulawayo on Sunday.

Scoreboard

ZIMBABWE

V. Sibanda run out (Bravo) 96

H. Masakadza st Ramdin b Lewis 80

E. Chigumbura c Deonarine b Taylor 4

T. Taibu c Deonarine b Taylor 0

B. Taylor not out 26

S. Matsikenyeri b Taylor 4

K. Dabengwa c Ramdin b Taylor 2

C. Chibhabha b Taylor 1

P. Utseya b Bravo 3

G. Brent run out (Bravo) 9

R. Price not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-4) 6

TOTAL (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 232

FALL OF WKTS: 1-167, 2-173, 3-176, 4-194, 5-207, 6-213, 7-215, 8-220, 9-231.

BOWLING: Powell 8-1-39-0 (2w), Rampaul 6-1-16-0 (2w), J. Taylor 10-0-48-5, Samuels 10-0-36-0, Deonarine 2-0-16-0, Lewis 7-0-38-1, Bravo 7-0-37-1

WEST INDIES

D. Smith b Chigumbura 0

B. Parchment c Masakadza b Utseya 25

R. Morton c Chigumbura b Price 79

M. Samuels c Chibhabha b Utseya 62

D. Bravo not out 41

N. Deonarine c Price b Utseya 8

D. Ramdin not out 5

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-7, NB-2) 14

TOTAL (for 5 wkts, 47 overs) 234

DID NOT BAT: R. Lewis, D. Powell, R. Rampaul, J. Taylor.

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-62, 3-167, 4-176, 5-197.

BOWLING: E. Chigumbura 6-0-39-1 (1nb, 1w), G. Brent 10-0-46-0, R. Price 9-0-44-1 (1w), C. Chibhabha 2-0-16-0 (1nb), P. Utseya 10-1-40-3 (1w), K. Dabengwa 10-0-44-0 (1w).—Agencies