Chris Gayle struck the fastest double-century in one-day international cricket, and the first in World Cup history, as West Indies easily picked up a 73-run victory over Zimbabwe.
The winning margin may have been impacted by the Duckworth/Lewis method, after West Indies posted 372 for two batting first, but there was no denying Gayle’s impact, as he smashed 16 sixes and 10 fours in his 147-ball innings.
The 200-mark was reached in 138 balls, and records further tumbled as Gayle and Marlon Samuels, who was almost pedestrian in his 133 off 156, strung together the world-record partnership for ODIs – they scored all of their team’s runs off the bat.
Zimbabwe made a very creditable fist of their response, though, as Sean Williams cracked 76 in 61 balls, and Craig Ervine got 52. But with Gayle grabbing 2-35, it was to be his and West Indies’ day as they wrapped up victory in 44.3 overs with Zimbabwe finishing on 289.
It had started so differently for both teams when West Indies lost Dwayne Smith for a two-ball duck in the first over. Tinashe Panyangara bowled Smith through the gate and nearly had Gayle trapped lbw two balls later but for the Decision Review System. However, Panyangara would go on to concede the most runs of Zimbabwe’s bowlers – 82 in his nine overs.
Indeed, Panyangara thought he had Gayle out again when on 121, only for the umpire to correctly rule for a no-ball.
Luck was clearly not on Zimbabwe’s side, and Gayle cared little, equalling the record for number of sixes, shared by AB de Villiers and Rohit Sharma.
While Rohit still holds the highest ODI score at 264, Gayle clocked the highest in a World Cup – ending Gary Kirsten’s 19-year reign of 188 not out – and then struck a four to also become the first non-Indian to score 200.
The overall run-rate never really crossed 10 until the halfway stage, which made the remaining overs an exhibition in boundary hitting, with 12 fours and 17 sixes coming in the latter 25.
West Indies applaud Gayle's EPIC innings! https://t.co/H2YZkjrbWC
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) February 24, 2015
Samuels’ innings almost paled in comparison, though he broke his personal-best score and helped to bludgeon 152 off the last 10 overs.
Gayle, who was dismissed off the final ball of the innings, said: “It was a fantastic day for me from a personal point of view, and from a team point of view it was a good all-round performance.”
For Zimbabwe, given a revised target of 363 following a rain delay, the task was made difficult with Regis Chakabva’s dismissal to captain Jason Holder, who finished on 3-48 alongside similar figures of 3-38 from Jerome Taylor.
Brendan Taylor mustered a slow 37 and his stand of 80 with Williams gave Zimbabwe some hope of an unlikely win, as did Williams’ partnership of 51 with Ervine.
But Holder ended Williams’ stay with Zimbabwe on 177 for five and Gayle then removed Ervine, followed swiftly by his scalping of Stuart Matsikenyeri. The result was a mere formality thereafter.
Big up yourself me boss @henrygayle keep doing your thing.. #WIvZIM#CricketWorldCup
— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) February 24, 2015