Reuters
West Indies players Marlon Samuels (left) and Lendl Simmons (second right) congratulate fast bowler Jerome Taylor (second left) on the dismissal of Zimbabwe batsman Raymond Price during the third One-Day International cricket series at Harare Sports Club yesterday.

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (CMC):

West Indies fast bowler Jerome Taylor uncorked another top performance and propelled West Indies to a series success against Zimbabwe after a five-wicket victory in their fourth One-Day International (ODI) cricket match yesterday.

Man-of-the-Match Taylor bagged his first ever ODI five-wicket haul as Zimbabwe tumbled to 232 for nine off their 50 overs at the Queen's Sports Club.

West Indies replied with 234 for five off 47 overs behind solid half centuries from Runako Morton and Marlon Samuels, and a shot-filled innings by skipper Dwayne Bravo at the end. The result gave West Indies a winning 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Narsingh Deonarine replaced Shivnarine Chanderpaul (hand injury) in one change to the West Indies line-up and there were no changes in the Zimbabwe team.

After Tuesday's stifling three-wicket haul - that also made him Man-of-the-Match - in the third ODI, Taylor returned to claim five for 48 to help reduce Zimbabwe from a promising 173 for one in the 39th over.

Century stand

Openers Vusi Sibanda (96) and Hamilton Masakadza (80) had threatened with a big 167-run partnership after Zimbabwe were sent to bat by Bravo. The pair reached a century stand off 146 balls in the 24th over and gathered 150 off 205 balls in 33.3 overs. But Taylor exploded in the second half of the innings and triggered a collapse that saw Zimbabwe lose nine wickets for just 65 runs.

Taylor finished with five for 48 off 10 overs. Lewis (1-38) and Bravo (1-37) were the other wicket takers.

West Indies made a terrible start to their run chase with a bizarre dismissal for the out-of-form Devon Smith for a 'duck' first ball of the innings.

Trying to fend off a rising delivery from Chigumbura, Smith was hit painfully on the ribs. The ball bounced on the pitch and rolled on to the stumps, knocking off the bails as Smith registered another single-digit score, adding to his previous efforts of 5, 2, and 1.

Brenton Parchment and Morton posted a second-wicket stand of 62 that ended when Parchment was caught at long-on lofting off-spinner Utseya. Parchment scored 25 off 41 balls with four boundaries. Morton (79) and Marlon Samuels (62) then linked up in a fruitful 105-run third-wicket stand that used 22 overs to carry the score to 167 in the 36th over.

West Indies stuttered a bit at 197 for five in the 42nd over but Bravo came in and played another captain's innings to steer his side to a comfortable victory.

Bravo thumped a run-a-ball 41 with one four and two sixes and finished the game in style, with a lofted drive against medium pacer Brent to the long-on boundary. Bowling for Zimbabwe, Utseya led the way with three for 40 off his 10 overs.

ZIMBABWE Innings

V. Sibanda run out (Bravo)96

H. Masakadza st Ramdin b Lewis 80

E. Chigumbura c Deonarine b Taylor 4

+T. Taibu c Deonarine b Taylor 0

B Taylor not out 26

S. Matsikenyeri b Taylor 4

K. Dabengwa c wkp Ramdin b Taylor 2

J. Chibhabha b Taylor 1

P. Utseya b Bravo 3

G. Brent run out (Bravo) 9

R. Price not out 1Extras (lb2, w4) 6

TOTAL (9 wickets - 50 overs) 232

Fall of wickets: 1-167 (Masakadza, 36.5 overs), 2-173 (Chigumbura, 38.1), 3-176 (Taibu, 38.5), 4-194 (Sibanda, 42.1), 5-207 (Matsikenyeri, 44.4), 6-213 (Dabengwa, 46.1), 7-215 (Chibhabha, 46.5), 8-220 (Utseya, 47.6), 9-231 (Brent, 49.5).

BOWLING: Powell 8-1-39-0 (2w); Rampaul 6-1-16-0 (2w); Taylor 10-0-48-5; Samuels 10-0-36-0; Deonarine 2-0-16-0; Lewis 7-0-38-1; Bravo 7-0-37-1.

WEST INDIES Innings

D. Smith b Chigumbura 0

B. Parchment c Masakadza b Utseya 25

R. Morton c Chigumbura b Price 79

M. Samuels c Chibhabha b Utseya 62

D. Bravo not out 41

N. Deonarine c Price b Utseya 8

+D. Ramdin not out 5

Extras (lb5, w7, nb2) 14

TOTAL (5 wickets - 47 overs) 234Did not bat: R. Lewis, D. Powell, R. Rampaul, J. Taylor.

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Smith, 0.1 overs), 2-62 (Parchment, 13.3), 3-167 (Morton, 35.3), 4-176 (Samuels, 37.2), 5-197 (Deonarine, 41.4).

BOWLING: Chigumbura 6-0-39-1 (1nb, 1w); Brent 10-0-46-0; Price 9-0-44-1 (1w) Chibhabha 2-0-16-0 (1nb); Utseya 10-1-40-3 (1w); Dabengwa 10-0-44-0 (1w).

Result: West Indies win by five wickets

Series: West Indies lead series 3-1

Man of the Match: Jerome Taylor (West Indies)

Toss: West Indies

Umpires: Russell Tiffin (Zimbabwe), Brian Jerling (South Africa). Match Referee: Chris Broad (England).