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Gayle sweeps aside England, WI in final
Chris Gayle's 132 not out in his 100th one-dayer, his ninth century at this level, was the cornerstone of West Indies reply as they won with 5 balls to spare.
Chris Gayle's 132 not out in his 100th one-day international took West Indies into the Natwest Series final with a seven-wicket win against England at Lord's on Tuesday.
Not even an England total of 285 for seven in a record stand of 226 between all-rounder Andrew Flintoff (123) and Andrew Strauss (100) — the Middlesex captain's maiden one-day international hundred — could prevent England losing their tenth successive match at this level batting first.
It also meant that every completed game in this tournament had been won by the team fielding first.
West Indies, who face New Zealand at the Rose Bowl on Thursday, will be up against the already-qualified Black Caps in Saturday's Lord's final.
Gayle, together with Ramnaresh Sarwan (89), put on 187 in 188 balls for the second wicket as they took the game away from England. The left-handed opener faced 165 balls with one six and three fours as West Indies won with five balls to spare.
Ricardo Powell then added late impetus with a dashing 33 not out off 22 balls in an unbroken stand of 68 in 47 balls with Flintoff.
It was tough on Flintoff who for the second match in a row found himself making a hundred in a losing cause after his 106, his maiden one-day international century, in Sunday's six-wicket reverse against New Zealand.
But England were left rueing the fact that the containing Lancashire seamer was unable to bowl as well as some sloppy fielding.
Paul Collingwood's nine overs cost 58 runs and Stephen Harmison, usually England's most reliable source of wickets, had an equally fruitless return of 10 overs for 51.
Strauss's innings came in the Middlesex captain's first limited overs international on his home ground.
Left-hander Strauss had already made a century on his Test debut, against New Zealand, at Lord's in May.
Their stand of 226 in 188 balls was an England one-day international record for all wickets surpassing the previous best of 213 set by Neil Fairbrother and Graeme Hick against the West Indies at Lord's in 1991.
Flintoff faced 104 balls with six sixes and eight fours. Strauss faced 116 balls with two sixes and eight fours.
In reply West Indies captain Brian Lara reverted to the middle order despite his run-a-ball 58 as an opener in Saturday's five-wicket defeat by New Zealand.
But Darren Gough had series debutant Devon Smith (10) caught behind.
Gough then had man-of-the-match Gayle, 19, dropped in the covers by Strauss before James Anderson put down Sarwan, on 16, off his own bowling when he failed to grasp a left-handed chance.
Gayle later launched Giles for six over long-on.
England needed to take every chance that came their way but missed another when Sarwan on 54, slipped after charging down the pitch and was on his back.
All Strauss had to do was lob the ball to bowler Collingwood and Sarwan would have been run out. But instead he went for the direct hit and missed.
Sarwan, having just struck Anderson twice over extra-cover for four, was caught behind off the paceman 11 run short of a hundred, his side 202 for two.
The right-hander faced 78 balls with nine fours.
Anderson and wicket-keeper Geraint Jones combined again to capture the prize wicket of Lara for 10.
But there was no way back for Vaughan's men.
England, who were entitled to fear the worst when Lara sent them in, then saw Tino Best reduce them to 27 for two took as Marcus Trescothick and Vaughan both went cheaply.
But Strauss, who made 61 on Sunday, batted calmly against an attack lacking injured pacemen Jermaine Lawson (flu) and Ravi Rampaul (shin).
After Flintoff holed out in the last over, against Gayle, Strauss's scampered two took him to three figures before he too was caught.
England: Michael Vaughan (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Robert Key, Andrew Strauss, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones, Ashley Giles, Darren Gough, Steve Harmison, James Anderson.
West Indies: Brian Lara (captain), Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ricardo Powell, Dwayne Smith, Ridley Jacobs, Ian Bradshaw, Tino Best.
Umpires: Jeremy Lloyds (England), Rudi Koertzen (South Africa).
Third umpire: Nigel Llong (England).
Match referee: Gundappa Viswanath (India).
