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NAPIER - Chris Gayle coaxed and crunched his way to a 19th one-day cricket international hundred as the West Indies set the home side 294 to win the fifth and deciding ODI at McLean Park here today.
Gayle was dormant for stretches of his innings of 135 but clicked up a gear with ease, a template Shivnarine Chanderpaul also adopted to propel the West Indies to 293 for nine after a nondescript beginning.
The pair eventually teed off in tandem during the West Indies' batting power play between overs 35 and 39, resulting in a 57-run barrage.
Gayle, who crafted a match-saving 197 in the second test here last month, set the tone by mangling the figures of each New Zealand bowler.
Counterpart Daniel Vettori was not immune, the New Zealand captain's last two overs dished up 27 runs as the West Indies' two most reliable batsman on tour compiled a partnership of 170 off 158 balls for the third wicket.
Chanderpaul, initially content to nudge the ball around when he replaced Ramnaresh Sarwan, 22, in the 17th over, also took flight after scoring his first 26 runs in singles.
The unorthodox left hander turned sedate to savage, racing from 26 - off 56 balls - to his 53rd ODI half century in just 14 deliveries.
He was also in range of a century but his innings was halted six runs short of the milestone when he reverse swept once too often, to Martin Guptill off the reinstated Jesse Ryder.
Until his downfall for 94 from 91 deliveries, Chanderpaul cheekily employed the reverse sweep to great effect - one shot off a confounded Vettori landed in the Harris Stand.
Kyle Mills finally broke the partnership in his comeback over though not before 14 was taken from it.
After greeting New Zealand's leading fast bowler's return with a six, Gayle - who brought up his century in 110 balls - fell to the last ball of the 43rd over when picking out Ross Taylor in the deep.
Gayle, who offered a tough chance to Ryder at slip when on 14, ultimately faced 129 deliveries and stroked nine boundaries and five sixes before he retreated when the score was 243.
Chanderpaul, who hit nine boundaries and a six, departed four overs later but by then the West Indies were on course to eclipse their previous highest score in New Zealand - 282 at Christchurch in 2000.
Although six wickets fell during the last 10 overs, the West Indies added 86 from that segment to leave New Zealand needing to score at 5.88 per over to claim a 2-1 series win.
Mark Gillespie, the victim of Gayle's first six, was the beneficiary as the middle and lower order hit out and ended with four for 58 from 10 overs.
Vettori deteriorated from 0-18 from eight overs to 0-45 while Mills, three for 57, also suffered - his first seven overs cost 25 before his last three conceded 32.
Tim Southee, none for 63, and Grant Elliott, none for 33 from four overs, also copped punishment.
- NZPA
