ST GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC):

Opener Johnson Charles struck his second consecutive one-day international hundred while Darren Bravo notched his first ever, as West Indies brushed aside a ragged Zimbabwe by 156 runs in the opening one-dayer here yesterday.

The right-handed Charles top scored with a pugnacious 130 and was joined by the elegant Bravo who reached three figures off the last ball of the innings to finish with exactly 100 not out at the National Stadium, allowing the Windies to plunder 337 for four from their 50 overs - their fourth-highest ODI total.

Opener Kieran Powell weighed in with a stroke-filled 79 as West Indies prospered in fabulous conditions after they were sent in at the National Stadium.

Fast bowler Chris Mpofu was Zimbabwe's best bowler with two wickets but his 10 overs cost 83 runs.

In reply, Zimbabwe were undone by off-spinner Sunil Narine who claimed three for 28 from his 10 overs, and slumped to 181 for nine from their 50 overs.

Seamers Andre Andre Russell (2-24) and Dwayne Bravo (2-30) chipped in with a pair of wickets each.

Malcolm Waller top-scored with 51 from 75 balls and Craig Ervine weighed in with a brisk 41 from 51 deliveries, but neither effort was good enough to take Zimbabwe close to their target.

early aggressor

The hosts were given a rollicking start by Charles and Powell who put on 168 for the first wicket in nearly even time. While Charles hit 12 fours and four sixes off 111 balls, Powell struck seven fours and two sixes in his 88-ball stay at the crease.

Powell was the early aggressor, clearing long on with off-spinner Prosper Utseya in the sixth over before reeling off a couple of off-side boundaries in Mpofu's first over, the eighth of the innings.

He reached his half-century off 64 balls before he departed in the 29th over, pulling Mpofu to Ervine on the deep square-leg boundary.

Charles and Bravo then put Zimbabwe's bowlers to the sword in a second-wicket stand worth 80 off just 62 deliveries.

After playing second fiddle to Powell, Charles blossomed nicely and reached his half-century off 63 balls before carrying on for three figures off 94 deliveries.

He played expansively, taking three boundaries from seamer Hamilton Masakadza fourth over, the 24th, that cost 13 runs and another two off Waller's off spin in the next over sent down.

The 24-year-old reached his second ODI century with a push down the ground for a couple in the 32nd over, to follow up his hundred against Australia earlier this month at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Bravo, meanwhile, played himself in before unleashing a vicious assault on the Zimbab-wean bowlers, striking nine glitzy fours and four savage sixes, in speeding to his century off 71 balls, the fourth-fastest by a West Indian.

WEST INDIES

Did not bat: +D Ramdin, N Deonarine, S Narine, K Roach, T Best.

Fall of wickets: 1-168 (Powell, 28.4 overs), 2-248 (Charles, 39), 3-266 (Russell, 41.3), 4-302 (DJ Bravo, 47.2)

Bowling: Jarvis 10-1-65-1 (nb1), Utseya 10-0-60-0 (w1), Mpofu 10-0-83-2 (w1), Chibhabha 3-0-19-0, Mushangwe 10-2-56-1 (w1), Masakadza 5-0-35-0, Waller 2-0-15-0

ZIMBABWE

Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Sibanda, 4.4 overs), 2-22 (Chibhabha, 5.3), 3-31 (Masakadza, 9.2), 4-34 (Taylor, 10.5), 5-92 (Ervine, 23.5), 6-115 (Chakabva, 29.3), 7-156 (Waller, 41), 8-161 (Jarvis, 43.4), 9-181 (Mushangwe, 48.5)

Bowling: Roach 8-1-15-1, Best 10-1-38-1 (w3, nb2), Narine 10-4-28-3, Deonarine7-1-37-0 (w1), DJ Bravo 8-0-30-2 (w4), Russell 7-0-24-2 (w1, nb1)

Result: West Indies won by 156 runs.

Series: West Indies lead three-match series 1-0.

Man of the Match: Johnson Charles.

Toss: Zimbabwe.

Umpires: I Gould, J Wilson;

TV: J Cloete.

SCOREBOARD