- DELLMAR (BNS & Red Stripe)
West Indies opener Runako Morton drives on his way to a century against Zimbabwe in their abandoned one-day match at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad yesterday.
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP):
RUNAKO MORTON'S century for West Indies came to nothing against Zimbabwe as afternoon rain forced the sixth one-day cricket international to be abandoned yesterday.
The West Indies lead the seven-match series 4-0 with the final match scheduled again at Queen's Park Oval today.
Morton's second one-day century of 109 set up a West Indies total of 263 for six off 50 overs.
Zimbabwe's innings was twice interrupted by showers and, left to chase a reduced Duckworth/Lewis target of 191 off 30 overs, ended up stuck on 72 for two off 12.1 overs.
Brendan Taylor was unbeaten on 20 and Vusi Sibanda hit 18 not out.
Captain Terrence Duffin and Sibanda took Zimbabwe to seven without loss before the first rain break after two overs.
Upon resumption, Duffin was caught behind by wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh for 14 and Piet Rinke was run out by Brian Lara for four in pursuit of the new target.
Taylor and Sibanda added 30 off 29 balls to give Zimbabwe a sniff, but the rain had the final say.
Earlier, Morton lashed 12 fours and a six and received sound support from Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
LATE-ORDER ACCELERATION
Sarwan compiled 54 off 62 balls and added 134 for the second wicket with Morton.
Chanderpaul provided late-order acceleration with two sixes and two fours in his 51 not out off 44 deliveries.
Baugh weighed in with a busy, unbeaten 25 off 15 balls toward the end.
Zimbabwe's disciplined bowling effort was led by spinners Ryan Higgins and Prosper Utseya.
The pair bowled in tandem to stall the home team in mid-innings.
Higgins took two for 39, including the prize scalps of Sarwan and West Indies skipper Lara. Utseya did not take a wicket, but conceded just 35 runs from his 10 overs.
Pacer Tawanda Mupariwa claimed two for 41.
Mupariwa gave the visitors a fine start when he bowled Chris Gayle for two at 15 for one in the fifth over.
But Morton and Sarwan rallied the home team in front of a modest crowd of about 2,000.
The two right-handers played without much fuss in composing a century stand for the second wicket.
Higgins broke the blossoming stand as Sarwan edged behind, a similar dismissal which befell Lara, who scored just two.
Morton, after facing 150 balls, holed out to long-on off Anthony Ireland. Marlon Samuels was run out without facing a ball and Dwayne Smith fell for three to Mupariwa as West Indies wobbled at 206-6 in the 45th over.
But Chanderpaul and Baugh made sure a satisfying total was achieved in an unbroken stand of 57 off the last five overs.
West Indies innings
C. Gayle b Mupariwa 2
R. Morton c Mupariwa b Ireland 109
R. Sarwan c Taylor b Higgins 54
B. Lara c Taylor b Higgins 2
S. Chanderpaul not out 51
M. Samuels run out 0
D. Smith b Mupariwa 3
C. Baugh not out 25
Extras: (5lb, 10w, 2nb) 17
TOTAL: (for six wkts - 50 overs) 263
Fall: 1-15, 2-149, 3-164, 4-193, 5-193, 6-206.
Did not bat: Ian Bradshaw, Dave Mohammed, Corey Collymore.
Bowling: Tawanda Mupariwa 10-2-41-2 (4w), Anthony Ireland 7-0-57-1 (2nb, 4w), Keegan Meth 7-0-44-0 (1w), Piet Rinke 4-0-33-0, Gregory Strydom 2-0-9-0, Ryan Higgins 10-0-39-2, Propser Utseya 10-0-35-0 (1w).
Zimbabwe innings
T. Duffin c Baugh b Samuels 14
V. Sibanda not out 18
P. Rinke run out 4
B. Taylor not out 20
Extras: (13w, 3nb) 16
TOTAL: (for two wkts- 12.1 overs) 72
Fall: 33, 42.
Did not bat: Elton Chigumbura, Gregory Strydom, Keegan Meth, Ryan Higgins, Tawanda Mupariwa, Propser Utseya, Edward Rainsford.
Bowling: Corey Collymore 4-0-23-0 (3nb, 4w), Ian Bradshaw 1-0-4-0, Marlon Samuels 5-0-31-1 (8w), Chris Gayle 2.1-0-14-0 (1w).
