CASTRIES, St Lucia, (Reuters) - West Indies captain Brian Lara celebrated his 35th birthday with a superb fifty to lead his side to a four-wicket win over England in the sixth one-day international yesterday.
England's captain Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss made 67 apiece as the touring side scored 280 for eight but the hosts reached their target with 17 balls to spare.
West Indies lead in the weather-disrupted series 2-1 with the final match scheduled for Barbados on Wednesday.
Just as in the fifth game on Saturday when West Indies successfully chased 282 for victory, England was left to rue missing out on a total in excess of 300 after slipping from 191 for three after 33 overs.
The tourists made a good start after being put into bat with Marcus Trescothick, who made 130 on Saturday, and Vaughan looking in good form.
But when Trescothick fell for 29 with the score on 57, England lost their impetus, allowing West Indies to slow the run-rate.
Vaughan and Strauss played sensibly as they added 84 for the second wicket.
Vaughan, still without a one-day international hundred, passed 50 for the seventh time but he was run-out for 67 by a direct hit from Ricardo Powell.
Strauss worked the ball stylishly to record his first one-day international half-century but when he too had reached 67, including seven boundaries, he was trapped lbw by off-spinner Chris Gayle, the pick of the West Indies' bowlers with figures of two for 39 from 10 overs. Andrew Flintoff hit 43 and Paul Collingwood 38 but the total never looked quite good enough, especially after Shivnarine Chanderpaul smashed one Darren Gough over for 15 on his way to his 29th one-day half-century.
Powell struck a quickfire 38 and Chanderpaul hit seven fours and one six before he was caught at short mid-wicket off Rikki Clarke's first ball for 63.
But with West Indies having raced to 113 for three in the 17th over, Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan picked off singles at will. Sarwan was deceived by Flintoff's slower ball to be bowled for 28, and Dwayne Smith, hero of Saturday's victory with 44 from 37 balls, struck three imperious boundaries before holing out to deep mid-wicket for 18.
Lara reached his 54th one-day international fifty with successive boundaries off Gough before falling for 57 top-edging a hook off Steve Harmison. Dwayne Bravo (33 not-out) and Ridley Jacobs (19 not-out) steadied the hosts, however, seeing them comfortably to their target in the 48th over. (See scoreboard on page 27)