Live Cricket Score: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 - West Indies vs Zimbabwe :

Bangalore, Mon, Feb 23 2015
Last updated on Tuesday, 24 February, 2015,

Last updated on Tuesday, 24 February, 2015,

© Getty

Getty

No better way to put it:

Match end: West Indies seal 73-run winChris Gayle added a catch to his list of contributions as West Indies bowled out Zimbabwe for 289 to seal an easy 73-run win. Sean Williams top-scored with 76, while Craig Ervine chipped in with 52, but chasing such a huge score was always going to be tough. Especially after losing early wickets.

Read the full match report, here.

Wickets: Gayle party continuesI'm guessing Chris Gayle is winning the Man of the Match award tonight. Yep, quote me on that!
Having smashed his way into the record books with an unprecedented WC double hundred, Gayle turns up with the ball and dismisses the well set Craig Ervine and Stuart Matsikenyeri. West Indies were on the brink of a massive victory, and going by Gayle's run so far, he might as well end up with a five-wicket haul today.

The match is petering out into a damp squib now. Zimbabwe are just looking to delay the inevitable.

In keeping with the Caribbean party theme, here are some of the best ever Reggae songs.

Update: Williams, Taylor keep Zimbabwe steadySean Williams and Brendan Taylor shared a fine fifty-run stand to keep Zimbabwe's slim hopes alive. Fighting a losing battle, it was only a matter of time before WI struck back, and the wicket came through Marlon Samuels, who had Brendan Taylor out caught by the keeper to give their side their 4th wicket.

Update: Williams, Taylor keep Zimbabwe steadySean Williams and Brendan Taylor shared a fine fifty-run stand to keep Zimbabwe's slim hopes alive.

Update: Chakabva falls before rain stops playChasing a mammoth total, Zimbabwe suffered an early setback as Regis Chakabva was out to Jason Holder in the second over. Strangely, the wicket was eerily similar to the reprieve double centurion Chris Gayle received early on in the West Indies' innings. The umpire, as then, was Steve Davis, and his decision, as then, was to rule it not out. The fielding side, as then, decided to review the call and replays, as then, showed Chakabva being hit in almost exactly the same place Gayle was. However, the final call was different. DRS showed that the ball was hitting the top of off and Zimbabwe lost the opener. 

There was more trouble in the offing for Zimbabwe as Hamilton Masakadza was out LBW to Jerome Taylor soon after. He was struck plumb in front, and inexplicably opted to take a review. Replays showed the ball missing the off and the leg stump - but hitting the middle of middle! That's how bad the review was.

Innings end: WI amass 372Chris Gayle ran out of steam towards the end and could not add to his tally of sixes, but that mattered for very little as Marlon Samuels took over the mantle and notched up his 8th ODI hundred. The right-hander too got into the act, bludgeoning four sixes towards the end to take West Indies to massive total of 372. 

West Indies, Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels added their names to a slew of records. You can read them all, here.

Lest we forget:

© Getty

Landmark: Gayle gets 200Chris Gayle became the first ever player to score a double hundred in World Cups as West Indies continued to motor towards a mammoth total. The West Indian took 105 balls for his first hundred and then needed only 33 deliveries to get to the next. Gayle hit a record-equalling 16 sixes during his jaw-dropping knock. 

Going by the way he's been playing, there will definitely be more.

Go Gayle!:

Back with a bang: Undertaker style!!

Update: Gayle goes Mental

Tafadzwa Kamungozi came in for some special treatment from Gayle in the 44th over. With Samuels having consumed the first two deliveries, Gayle tonked two sixes and two fours off the remaining deliveries to notch up his highest ever ODI score.

He went even better in the next over, slamming Sean Williams for three sixes in succession to etch his names in the record books for the highest ever WC score.

Also:

Update: Gayle gets out caught twice, but is still not out

Some people have ALL the luck

Tinashe Panyangara had Chris Gayle out caught twice in two balls, a remarkable feat considering Gayle marauding recent hits, but unluckily for the bowler and his side, Gayle was still not out. The first time he had him out caught, Panyangara had overstepped. The 2nd time, a free-hit, Gayle was out caught again, but it didn't matter.

You can't afford to give a batsman like Chris Gayle easy reprieves, and he showed just why by launching the last ball of that over out of the ground.

WI scored 55 runs off the batting Powerplay and soon notched up their country's second highest ever partnership.

Update: Gayle gets ready to rumble

Having brought up a fine century, Chris Gayle started to step into a more familiar zone - one during which he sends the fielders on a leather hunt and fans for cover. He slammed Hamilton Masakadza for a massive six, before sending Panyangara to the cleaners with a six and a four. The duo brought up their 200-run stand in the 29th over.

Gayle also became only the second West Indian to go past the 300-run mark.

Landmark: Gayle hits form with solid hundred

Chris Gayle slammed a superb hundred, his first since June 2013, as West Indies set themselves a solid platform for a strong finish. The left-hander struggled with his timing early on, but stuck it out in the middle and came out on top later. He freed his arms soon after getting to the landmark in the 36th over by lifting Hamilton Masakadza for a massive six.

Samuels too was shrugging off his lack of runs as he brought up a patient fifty.

This is us right now: Anticipating a Chris Gayle special

Update: Gayle, Samuels steady WI

Chris Gayle overcame his rather nervous start to give glimpses of his old self with some lusty blows. Marlon Samuels, too, saw off early jitters to settle into his role. The experienced duo looked added an unbeaten 50-run stand and looked set to carry on to make bigger contributions.

Samuels was given a life, with Tendai Chatara putting down a straightforward opportunity at point minutes before Gayle brought up his 47th ODI fifty and send alarm bells ringing for the sides he's about to face in the WC.

Update: Gayle, Samuels steady WI

Chris Gayle overcame his rather nervous start to give glimpses of his old self with some lusty blows. Marlon Samuels, too, saw off early jitters to settle into his role. The experienced duo looked added an unbeaten 50-run stand and looked set to carry on to make bigger contributions.

Reaction:

Wicket: Dwayne Smith falls for a duckZimbabwe made a storming start to the match as Dwayne Smith was out bowled for a duck off the 2nd ball of the match. The right-hander was beaten by an in-dipper and found his off-stump pegged back. 
Zimbabwe could have been celebrating, perhaps much harder this time around, two balls later as Chris Gayle was struck plumb in front. Steve Davis ruled in the batsman's favour, but Zimbabwe's review looked to be going their way. However, the replay suggested that the ball was just fractionally high.

Toss and Teams: WI bat first; make 2 changes

West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first. They made two changes with Nikita Miller and Jonathan Carter coming back into the side in place of Darren Bravo and Suleimann Benn coming into the side. Zimbabwe made one change, bringing in Stuart Matsikenyeri for Solomon Mire.

There is an 80% chance of rain during the game and we could well be seeing the D/L method come into play.

Build-up: Teams look to continue momentum

West Indies and Zimbabwe have demonstrated an ability to bounce back after a poor start in the tournament. West Indies started off their 2015 WC campaign with a four-wicket loss to Ireland at Nelson, but bounced back in spectacular style by defeating Pakistan by 150 runs, their best win against the team from sub-continent in ODIs in terms of runs. On the other hand, Zimbabwe let South Africa off the hook at Hamilton and they were punished by David Miller and JP Duminy, who put on a world record fifth wicket stand of 256. They shook off the defeat and chased down 286 against a spirited UAE side in Nelson. Heading into 15th match of the tournament on Tuesday at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, both teams look even on paper due to their inconsistency but the pressure will be more on Zimbabwe as they aim to put up a better show against big teams.

Build-up: Teams look to continue momentum

West Indies and Zimbabwe have demonstrated an ability to bounce back after a poor start in the tournament. West Indies started off their 2015 WC campaign with a four-wicket loss to Ireland at Nelson, but bounced back in spectacular style by defeating Pakistan by 150 runs, their best win against the team from sub-continent in ODIs in terms of runs. On the other hand, Zimbabwe let South Africa off the hook at Hamilton and they were punished by David Miller and JP Duminy, who put on a world record fifth wicket stand of 256. They shook off the defeat and chased down 286 against a spirited UAE side in Nelson. Heading into 15th match of the tournament on Tuesday at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, both teams look even on paper due to their inconsistency but the pressure will be more on Zimbabwe as they aim to put up a better show against big teams.