West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul (left) and Dwayne Bravo leave the field after the third one-day international against Zimbabwe in Harare yesterday. Brisk batting by captain Bravo helped West Indies to a comfortable win and they now lead the series 2-1. - Reuters

HARARE, Zimbabwe (CMC):

THE WEST Indies, paced by Jerome Taylor's superb bowling, crushed Zimbabwe by six wickets with more than 22 overs to spare in the third one-day international (ODI) at the Harare Sports Club yesterday.

Sent into bat after a rain delay of an hour and 15 minutes, Zimbabwe slumped to 139 all out off 37.5 overs and West Indies replied with 142 for four in 27.5 overs.

After stifling bowling by the West Indies attack, stand-in captain Dwayne Bravo launched a fierce assault on the Zimbabwe bowlers to steer his side into an advantage in the series.

Forceful rebound

Beaten in the opening game by 30 runs on Friday, the West Indies have now rebounded emphatically with back-to-back wins to lead the series 2-1. The Caribbean side had crushed Zimbabwe by 110 runs in the second game on Sunday.

Man of the Match Taylor grabbed three wickets for 18 runs at an economy rate of less than two runs per over and shared six wickets with his Jamaican colleague Daren Powell.

After a wobbly start by Zimbabwe, wicketkeeper/batsman Tatenda Taibu and Hamilton Masakadza tried to revive the innings in a 31-run fourth-wicket stand that ended when Taylor dislodged Masakadza at 67 for four.

Rawl Lewis then placed Zimbabwe under more pressure when he got rid of Taibu at 83 for five in the 21st over.

Failing to read a straight delivery from the 33-year-old leg-spinner, Taibu was bowled for a defiant top score of 32 off 46 balls with four boundaries.

Fabulous finishing figures

Taylor finished with fabulous figures of three for 18 off 9.5 overs and Powell snared three for 32 off nine overs. Rampaul (2-29) and Lewis (2-36) provided solid support.

When the West Indies replied, they lost Devon Smith (one) and debutant Brenton Parchment (15) cheaply.

Runako Morton then lashed 38 off 43 balls with three boundaries before he was caught on the long-on boundary by Brent as he tried to hit Utseya for the maximum and the 22-year-old off-spinner shook the touring side again in his next over when he had Marlon Samuels stumped for four at 82 for four.

Bravo and the experienced Shivnarine Chanderpaul then steered the West Indies home with an unfinished 60-run stand.

Fittingly completing the match, his first as West Indies captain, the dominant Bravo neatly flicked a delivery from Brent off his legs into the mid-wicket boundary.

Bravo belted 45 off just 24 balls with six fours and three sixes, two of them consecutive strokes - over the cover and long-off boundaries - in one over from Chigumbura. Chanderpaul closed on 27 from 63 balls.

Prosper (2-27) and Chigumbura (2-57) were the chief wicket-takers for Zimbabwe.