05 March,2010 07:53 AM IST | | Agencies
Shingirai Masakadza held his nerve in the final over to help Zimbabwe earn a two-run victory over West Indies in the first One-day International here last night.
Masakadza, on his ODI debut, collected three wickets -- two in the final over -- for 36 runs from three overs, as Zimbabwe successfully defended a target score of 255 on a typically slow Guyana National Stadium pitch.
The victory gave Zimbabwe a 1-0 lead in the five-match series with the second match set for the same venue tomorrow.
Opener Vusimuzi Sibanda had struck five fours and one six in 95 from 162 balls to be the cornerstone of Zimbabwe's 254 for five from their quota of 50 overs after they decided to bat.
But the match came down to the final over, and Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya gambled with Masakadza.
The 23-year-old fast-medium bowler conceded a six, a four, and a single to Nikita Miller off the first three balls of the final over before he bowled Dwayne Smith for four, and had Sulieman Benn caught at deep mid-wicket off successive balls, as West Indies narrowly failed to get 15 runs from the final over.
Zimbabwe's spinners again choked the West Indies' top-order batting, despite Shivnarine Chanderpaul hitting the top score of 70, home team captain Chris Gayle making 57, and fellow opener Adrian Barath 50 on debut.
