Chris Gayle smashed the highest-ever individual score in the ICC Cricket World Cup as the West Indies recorded their second win of the campaign.

Gayle scored 215, made from 147 balls (10x4 16x6) to propel his side to 372-2 against Zimbabwe in Canberra. He was joined in a record-breaking stand of 372 with Marlon Samuels, who made an undefeated 133.

It was only the fifth time that 200 had been reached by a batsman in One Day International cricket and the first time it had been done by a non-Indian.

Rohit Sharma, twice, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar had previously reached the milestone but Gayle’s hopes of joining them were nearly undone in an eventful first over of the match.

Tinashe Panyangara bowled a beauty to clatter into the stumps of Dwayne Smith from just the second ball, Marlon Samuels got off the mark straight away and then Gayle almost perished against his first delivery.

Hit on the pads, the appeal was turned down but referred by the excited Zimbabweans. Umpire Steve Davis’ initial verdict stood even though the ball was going on to clip the top of the stumps.

From then on it was all about Gayle. He reached his 50 from 51 balls, his 100 from 105, his 150 came up in 126 and his 200 in 138 as he smashed his way to 16 sixes, another World Cup record.

The 35-year old Jamaican was caught in the deep on 121 but had presumably heard the loud call for a front no-ball, which made subsequent events irrelevant.

He eventually was dismissed on the final ball of the innings, hoisting Hamilton Masakadza to Elton Chigumbura in the covers, ending the highest stand in any World Cup match.

Gayle had been under criticism after only making one half century from his previous 19 innings but bounced back to vanquish the previous World Cup record, that of Gary Kirsten, who made 188 for South Africa against UAE in 1996.

Samuels had been happy to watch the action from the other end but still progressed to his eighth ODI ton from 143 balls, with 9 fours, before accelerating to finish on 133 from 156 (11x4 3x6).

Zimbabwe’s reply got off to a dreadful start when Regis Chakabva was given out lbw against Jason Holder in the second over.

At 18-1 after 2.3 overs heavy rain forced the players from the field for a short break which reduced the target to 363 in 48 overs.

Holder and Jerome Taylor picked up further wickets before a stand of 80 between Sean Williams and Brendan Taylor gave the scorecard a touch of respectability.

Taylor was, perhaps unluckily, given out for 37 on review. He swept at the spin of Samuels and the ball appeared to loop up off the forearm into the gloves of ‘keeper Ramdin.

There didn’t seem to be too much evidence to support the original not out verdict being overturned but the third umpire saw it differently.

Holder bagged his third wicket, having Williams caught in the deep for 76 and Gayle entered the attack to remove Craig Ervine for 52, with only his fourth delivery.

Although victory was always out of Zimbabwe’s reach they bravely battled to reach 289 all out, in 44.3 overs. The margin of victory was 73 runs under the Duckworth Lewis method.

Taylor (3-38) and Holder (3-48) were both effective with the ball but there was no doubting who would receive the Player of the Match award with Gayle taking 2-35 and a catch to add to his monumental 215.

Gayle’s mighty effort, his 22nd ODI century, is now in the books as the second highest in the format but was still some way short of Rohit Sharma’s 264, made last year against Sri Lanka in Kolkata.

After losing to Ireland, West Indies have now beaten Pakistan and Zimbabwe and face South Africa in their next Pool B contest, on Friday at the SCG.

The Zimbabweans (with a 1-2 record) are next in action on Sunday when they play Pakistan (0-2) in Brisbane.

 

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