Gayle smashes first double ton in World Cup

Hits 16 sixes to take West Indies to 372 against Zimbabwe

Chris Gayle bludgeoned his way into the record books by becoming the first player to score a double century in the World Cup as the West Indies rode on the big-hitting opener's record-equalling 16 sixes to notch up an imposing 372 for two against Zimbabwe here today.

Gayle smashed 215 off just 147 balls with the help of a staggering 16 sixes and 10 fours during a world record 372-run second-wicket partnership with centurion Marlon Samuels.

Former South Africa opener Gary Kirsten held the previous individual record with a score of 188 against the same opponents at the 1996 edition in Rawalpindi, while the legendary retired Indian duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid held the partnership record, which they scripted against New Zealand in 1999.

Gayle thus became the only player in world cricket to hit a triple hundred in Tests, double hundred in ODIs and a hundred in Twenty20 Internationals.

This was Gayle's first century since June 2013, the ton coming off 105 balls after the two-time winners opted to bat at the Manuka Oval. He reached his double ton in 138 balls, hitting Tendai Chatara for a boundary.

While his first hundred was a workmanlike effort, the second was Gayle at his devastating best, getting their off a mere 33 balls.

Such was the onslaught that West Indies smashed the hapless Zimbabwe bowlers for 195 runs in the last 13 overs, 152 of them coming in the final 10.

Gayle fell short of the highest number of sixes by only one, tying with India's Rohit Sharma and South African captain AB de Villiers.