An unbeaten 66 from Mark Vermeulen helped Zimbabwe to beat West Indies by six wickets and draw level in the five-match one-day series, yesterday.
After West Indies won the toss and batted, they crumbled to a meagre 125, which Zimbabwe strolled past with more than 20 overs to spare.
While the batsmen gorged themselves at Bulawayo Saturday, it was a different story yesterday on a pitch with a little more spin and bounce. West Indies never got going and collapsed astonishingly, while Zimbabwe struggled nervously to reach their low target until Vermeulen and Heath Streak finally took charge in the final half-hour.
West Indies' failure was due to a mixture of accurate bowling, good fielding, and batting errors. Saturday's centurymakers, Chris Gayle and Brian Lara, scored just ten runs between them, and the only batsman to put up a real fight was Marlon Samuels, who finished unbeaten on 36.
Zimbabwe appeared to have little better to look forward to than another hard slog in the field as Gayle and Wavell Hinds made a confident start. However, that soon changed when Gayle wafted outside the off stump at Andy Blignaut and nudged a gentle catch to Tatenda Taibu, the wicketkeeper, for eight with the score on 18. Lara started comfortably enough, but then the ground erupted as he tried to turn a full, straight one from Blignaut to leg, and was plumb leg-before for two, the score on 26.
Those two big wickets stripped West Indies of their confidence. Hinds and Ramnaresh Sarwan dug in, but did not try to take control. Hinds had made 17 when he was deceived into edging Sean Ervine's slower ball to Taibu while driving outside off, the score 41 for three.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, after settling in, decided the time had come to take charge. He hit Gary Brent for four and six off successive balls, and then launched a fierce off-drive - but Streak took a superb diving catch at short extra cover, the score 71.
Two balls later and things got worse for West Indies. Samuels called for a quick single to midwicket, only for Blignaut to make a superb pick-up and throw - and brilliantly run Sarwan out for a dogged 13.
The one-way traffic continued. Ricardo Powell struggled to 6 off 20 balls before he tried to dab Ray Price to third man and edged a catch behind, the score 85 for six. The tail then wilted under the pressure, as the bowlers never let up. Carlton Baugh and Vasbert Drakes both fell to Trevor Gripper, both for two, and Ravi Rampaul became Price's second victim for a single. Samuels, meanwhile, was left stranded at the other end.
Zimbabwe, however, were not long in imitating the headless-chicken behaviour that is often associated with their batting when put under pressure. In only the third over, Gripper pulled Rampaul towards the distant midwicket boundary and ran himself out for six, attempting a highly improbable fourth run, the score eight. Without addition, Vusi Sibanda, who had not scored, slashed at a short one from Drakes too close to his body, and was caught by Baugh.
Craig Wishart made only 8 before trying to pull the wrong ball from Corey Collymore, and was caught by Sarwan at mid-on, the score 31, and Stuart Matsikenyeri (three) then missed a Collymore yorker, the score 54. It was a wise decision by Streak, the team's best man in a crisis, to come in next. He survived two hard chances early on, and these proved to be the final turning points of the match.
Zimbabwe were deeply grateful that Vermeulen was at the other end, looking as languid and unconcerned as ever, and striking the ball effortlessly through the off side. He hit 13 fours in his valuable innings - the third fifty of his one-day career.
Just after Vermeulen reached his half-century, off 65 balls, Streak decided it was time to make his move. He hit Rampaul for three fours in an over, and the shackles finally fell off as Zimbabwe cruised to victory with no further difficulty.
Fittingly, it was a typically stylish four through the covers by Vermeulen, the Man of the Match, which took his side home and levelled the series. (CRICINFO)