Lara leads Windies into last eight

Jamaica, World Cup, Group D: West Indies 204/4 (47.5 overs) beat Zimbabwe 202/5 (50 overs) by six wickets

Brian Lara led from the front as hosts West Indies became the first team through to the Super Eights following a routine win over Zimbabwe.

On the first day's cricket since the tragic death of Bob Woolmer, the teams lined up for a minute's silence before the start of play, impeccably observed as one would expect.

Lara (44*) top scored for the winners with cameos from Chris Gayle (40) and Dwayne Bravo (37*), as the Windies avoided the ignominies visited upon previous host nations South Africa (2003) and England (1999) who found themselves eliminated at the first stage.

    

Earlier Zimbabwe failed to post a telling score, despite half centuries from Sean Williams - who finished unbeaten on 70 - and Brendan Taylor, comically run out for 50.

Zimbabwe now need to beat Pakistan tomorrow and hope Ireland come unstuck against the hosts on Friday.

• In yesterday's other game India got off the mark with a 257 run win over Bermuda in Group B - the biggest margin of victory in one-day international history.

India scored 413/5 off their fifty overs - the first team to pass 400 in a World Cup - and fifth highest ODI total of all time. Virender Sehwag returned to form with 114, while Sourav Ganguly (89), Yuvraj Singh (83) and Sachin Tendulkar (57*) all joined in the fun.



For Bermuda, cult hero Dwayne Leverock held a spectacular catch to dismiss Robin Uthappa in the second over of India's innings but it was all downhill from there, the 2003 runners-up equalling South Africa's record of 18 sixes - which they held on their own for all of three days!

With the bat, Glamorgan left-hander David Hemp scored an unbeaten 76 as the minnows folded for 156.