Windies set England tough target

West Indies plundered 116 runs off the final 10 overs to set England a daunting 290 target in the NatWest Series decider at Trent Bridge.

Skipper Chris Gayle laid the foundations with a restrained 82 - his highest score of the tour - before Runako Morton and Dwayne Bravo cut loose in the final stages.

It was almost a carbon copy of the Windies innings in their win at Edgbaston three days ago when 102 came off the last 10 overs in compiling a 278 total.

Gayle opted to bat but his opening partner Devon Smith (13) perished in only the third over of the day when he cut Jimmy Anderson into the hands of Ian Bell at backward point.

Liam Plunkett bowled an unimpressive opening spell but could have made a second breakthrough for England when Gayle, who was on four, was dropped by Alastair Cook at short extra cover.

The left-hander produced a mixture of playing and missing and some powerfully struck boundaries but on 20 had another let-off.

He carved an Anderson delivery straight to Bell at backward point but this time the Warwickshire player could not hold onto a relatively comfortable chance which ran away for two to bring up the 50 in the 11th over.

Smith's dismissal brought in Shivnarine Chanderpaul who had recovered from the ankle injury suffered when making an unbeaten 116 at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

He looked his usual unflustered self and seemed on course for another big contribution after lofting Monty Panesar for a straight six.

Gayle passed 6,000 ODI runs in his 171st appearance when he reached 34 but Plunkett returned to the attack and struck in successive overs to check the West Indies progress.