HARARE, Zimbabwe (Reuters) - Blistering batting from Wavell Hinds and explosive bowling by Fidel Edwards led West Indies to a series-levelling victory over Zimbabwe, yesterday.
Hinds scored 127 and fast bowler Edwards took six for 23 as the tourists won the rain-affected fourth one-day international by 72 runs to square the five-match series at 2-2.
The deciding game will be played at the same venue today.
After being put in to bat, West Indies scored 256 for three before rain ended their innings after 45 overs.
Zimbabwe, set a target of 223 in 32 overs, reached 150 for seven, wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu top-scoring with 66.
West Indies opener Hinds attacked the bowling consistently, pulling and driving with unstoppable power. He faced 141 balls and hit 10 fours and four sixes.
Edwards, playing his first one-day international, bowled with pace, and found movement through the air and off the seam to take the first five wickets to fall.
Hinds and Chris Gayle set the tone of the West Indies' innings in a powerful opening stand of 96 struck off 91 balls.
Gayle was even more aggressive than his partner, smashing 51 off 34, including seven fours and three sixes, before slashing a delivery from medium pacer Sean Ervine to Taibu.
An out-of-sorts Brian Lara had faced 25 balls for his 14 when he fished outside his off-stump to a wide delivery from medium pacer Gary Brent and edged a catch to Taibu.
BECAME SUBDUED
The Zimbabweans celebrated the breakthrough enthusiastically, but they gradually became subdued as Hinds and Ramnaresh Sarwan re-established control.
They added 107 runs off 127 balls before Sarwan, on 47, square cut a ball from fast bowler Heath Streak to Mark Vermeulen on the cover boundary.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul was three not out when the rain intervened.
Edwards struck with his first delivery of the match to uproot Barney Rogers' middle stump.
In his next over Edwards had Vusi Sibanda caught behind for seven by wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, and with his next ball he trapped Craig Wishart lbw.
Five slips were lined up as Edwards attempted to complete his hat-trick but he only produced a full toss that was easily dealt with by Stuart Matsikenyeri.
In the sixth over Edwards found the shoulder of Mark Vermeulen's bat with a rising delivery and the ball looped to Chanderpaul at first slip.
Matsikenyeri went for six in Edwards' next over when he sent a leading edge arching to Corey Collymore at mid-on as Zimbabwe dwindled to 22 for five.
Edwards' excellent spell ended after five overs in which he took five for 10.
Streak and Taibu staunched the flow of wickets with a sixth-wicket stand of 25 that kept Windies at bay for 49 balls before off-spinner Gayle induced Streak, on nine, to cut a delivery to Ricardo Powell at slip.
Taibu, whose gritty innings came off 85 balls with seven fours, and Ervine, who was 38 not out, earned Zimbabwe a measure of respectability with a seventh-wicket partnership of 99 that was ended four balls from the close of the match when Edwards bowled Taibu.