Medium pacer Dwayne Bravo snatched four wickets for 21 runs from nine overs and fast bowler Ravi Rampaul claimed two for 21 from eight overs to dismiss the tourists for 141 off 48.2 overs on a seamer-friendly strip at the Arnos Vale Stadium, after winning the toss.
Opener Chris Gayle then blasted 32 from 20 balls in posting a cameo 46 from 37 balls for the first wicket with Adrian Barath, but the captain’s dismissal triggered a decline as the Windies crashed to 101 for five in the 23rd over.
It left Narsingh Deonarine to guide the hosts home with an unbeaten 32 as they reached 142 for six off 34.3 overs, to take an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Asked to bat on the lively pitch, Zimbabwe lost impressive opener Hamilton Masakadza to the 10th ball of the innings without scoring at 11 for one and never recovered.
Broad-shouldered Elton Chigumbura batted well for 42 from 78 balls but he was the only batsman to pass 20 as Zimbabwe never came to terms with the pace and bounce of the track.
The task should have been straightforward and it appeared to be when Gayle and Barath tore into the Zimbabwe attack with delight.
Gayle, in particular, seemed set for a blinder when he smashed 20 runs from the third over sent down by medium pacer Chigumbura.
After the first two overs cost just four runs, Gayle exploded without warning, taking boundaries over mid on and straight overhead off the next two deliveries.
The hard-hitting left-hander then deposited the fourth ball over mid-wicket for six with a glorious flick before carting the final delivery over extra cover with a similar outcome.
He seemed set to unleash further when he pounded two boundaries off leg-spinner Greg Lamb’s first over which cost 10, but attempting to continue his domination in the bowler’s next over, held out to Graeme Cremer at long off after striking four fours and two sixes.
Shiv Chanderpaul, dropped on one after facing just five balls, did not capitalise on his good fortune as he top-edged a pull to Ray Price at mid on off Chigumbura when he had made two.
Barath, whose 25 required 28 balls and included three fours, followed soon after, caught at the wicket off leg-spinner Cremer as West Indies slipped to 62 for three in the 11th over.
Cremer, who finished with three for 34 from his 10 overs, kept a tight rein on scoring and Deonarine and Denesh Ramdin were forced to spend a painful 59 balls in adding 31 for the fourth wicket.
Ramdin’s wretched spell with the bat continued when he was trapped in front by Cremer after labouring 26 balls over 12 and Bravo lasted just eight balls before essaying a big drive off the same bowler and edging to Masakadza at slip for six.
Deonarine, who hit just two fours off 68 balls, then partnered with Kieron Pollard to put together the most crucial stand of the innings, posting 38 for the sixth wicket to put the Windies in sight of victory.
Even then Pollard, whose 22 came from 40 balls and included one four and one six, gave googly bowler Timycen Maruma a simple return catch with three runs needed for victory.
Earlier, Zimbabwe were always up against it as West Indies’ seamers delighted themselves on a helpful surface.
The right-handed Masa-kadza gloved a lifter through to wicketkeeper Ramdin off Rampaul’s fourth ball of the day to begin the rut but Vusi Sibanda (11) and the promoted Timycen Maruma (9) added 26 to steady the innings somewhat.
Maruma was shaping up well when he sparred at the first delivery from Bravo and was taken diving forward at gully by Darren Sammy at 37 for two in the ninth over.
Wickets then tumbled steadily as West Indies grabbed control of the match. With one run added, Brendan Taylor was spectacularly bowled by Rampaul after being beaten for pace and movement and a bad mix up accounted for the important Sibanda via the run out route as Zimbabwe slid to 51 for four.
Eight balls and one run later Stuart Matsikenyeri lost his off stump to Bravo as he prodded forward uncertainly and when Tatenda Taibu (14) and Lamb (1) followed cheaply, Zimbabwe had lost six wickets for 62 runs.
Chigumbura, who hammered two fours and three sixes off 78 balls, then shared a vital 41-run stand for the eighth wicket with Cremer who spent 41 balls over 15.
When the right-handed Chigumbura picked out Chanderpaul at deep backward square off medium pacer Sammy, it signalled the end of any revival for the tourists.
SCOREBOARD
ZIMBABWE (max: 50 overs)
H Masakadza c wkp Ramdin b Rampaul 0
V Sibanda run out 11
T Maruma c Sammy b Bravo 9
B Taylor b Rampaul 1
+T Taibu c Miller b Bravo 14
S Matsikenyeri b Bravo 1
G Lamb c & b Miller 12
E Chigumbura c Chanderpaul b Sammy 42
G Cremer c Miller b Bravo 15
*P Utseya not out 5
R Price b Roach 5
Extras (lb11, w13, nb2) 26
TOTAL (all out, 48.2 overs) 141
Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Masakadza, 1.4 overs), 2-37 (Maruma, 8.1), 3-38 (Taylor, 9.2), 4-51 (Sibanda, 13.5), 5-53 (Matsikenyeri, 16.1), 6-62 (Taibu, 19), 7-88 (Lamb, 31), 8-129 (Chigumbura, 43.5), 9-130 (Cremer, 45.2), 10-141 (Price, 48.2).
Bowling: Roach 7.2-0-30-1 (w3), Rampaul 8-2-21-2 (nb1), Bravo 9-2-21-4 (w1), Sammy 10-2-24-1 (w1, nb1), Miller 10-3-25-1, Pollard 4-1-9-0.
WEST INDIES (target: 142 runs from 50 overs)
A Barath c wkp Taibu b Cremer 25
*C Gayle c Cremer b Lamb 32
S Chanderpaul c Price b Chigumbura 2
+D Ramdin lbw b Cremer 12
N Deonarine not out 32
D Bravo c Masakadza b Cremer 6
K Pollard c & b Maruma 22
D Sammy not out 1
Extras (lb5, w4, nb1) 10
TOTAL (6 wkts, 34.3 overs) 142
Did not bat: N Miller, R Rampaul, K Roach.
Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Gayle, 6.1 overs), 2-51 (Chanderpaul, 9.1), 3-62 (Barath, 10.4), 4-93 (Ramdin, 20.3), 5-101 (Bravo, 22.2), 6-139 (Pollard, 33.3).
Bowling: Chigumbura 3-0-31-1 (w1), Price 8.3-2-25-0 (w1), Lamb 4-0-16-1, Cremer 10-0-34-3, Utseya 5-0-15-0, Maruma 4-0-16-1 (w2, nb1).
Result: West Indies won by four wickets.
Series: West Indies lead five-match series 3-1.
Man-of-the-Match: Dwayne Bravo.
Toss: West Indies.
Umpires: Norman Malcolm, Simon Taufel; TV – Goaland Greaves.
Matchreferee: Roshan Mahanama.
