West Indies thrash Zimbabwe to reach Super 8s

Kingston, March 20
The West Indies secured a place in the Super 8s round of the World Cup with comfortable six-wicket win Monday over Zimbabwe.
Captain Brian Lara slammed a four and a six off successive balls to secure the win with 13 balls to spare.
Lara finished 44 not out off 68 balls as the West Indies reached a winning total of 204 for four off 47.5 overs.
Dwayne Bravo supported with a fluent, unbeaten 37 and shared a match-winning, unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 75 with Lara.
West Indies openers Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul built the platform for the win with a first-wicket stand of 73.
``Now we are a bit more relaxed but we are still not going to take anything for granted,'' Gayle said. ``It's good to be in the Super 8s now so we're just looking forward to Ireland and move on from there.''
After its upset over 1992 champion Pakistan and tie with Zimbabwe, Ireland still has a chance to make the Super 8s.
Gayle took some time to settle in the West Indies' reply before lashing three sixes and three fours in 40 off 48 deliveries.
The powerful Jamaican struck his three sixes off the first three balls from Tawanda Mupariwa's fifth over to accelerate the pursuit.
And he admitted he had visions of equaling Hershelle Gibbs' record 6 sixes in an over against The Netherlands a few days ago but the bowler hit back well.
The first of Gayle's three huge sixes bounced back off the roof of the new six level Northern Stand at long-on.
``I think that's the biggest six I've ever hit. It went a long way,'' Gayle said. ``It's good the see the ball going over the boundary. Hopefully in the future I can carry on when I get a start.''
Zimbabwe came back into the contest when both Chanderpaul and Gayle fell inside five deliveries.
Chanderpaul edged Elton Chigumbura to first slip where Vusi Sibanda held the first of two excellent catches.
The second, to send Gayle on his way off Christopher Mpofu, was a left-handed reflex grab after wicketkeeper Brendon Taylor dropped the edge.
Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels both got starts but they fell in quick succession to silence a crowd of 10,500 as the home team slipped to 129 for four off 33 overs.
But Lara, who became the seventh man to 1,000 World Cup runs when he'd scored seven, and the more confident Bravo, saw their team home.
Earlier, Williams' career-best knock of 70 not out rescued his Zimbabwe from 31 for three. The left-hander hit seven fours off 88 balls as the visitors recovered from two wickets down for two in the third over after being sent in Lara.
Williams shared restorative stands of 83 with Brendon Taylor (50) and 60 unbroken with Elton Chigumbura (30 not out).
Jerome Taylor took two for 42 while there was a wicket apiece for Daren Powell and Dwayne Smith.