BRISTOL. England, July 6: Brian Lara and Ricardo Powell provided the batting fireworks as international one-day cricket under floodlights came to England for the first time on Thursday, reports Reuters.

With rock music pounding out a celebratory beat at the fall of a wicket or the striking of a boundary. Lara lashed 60 off 63 balls and Powell blasted 36 off 23 deliveries for West Indies against Zimbabwe in the opening match of the triangular 11m-ited-overs series which also features England.

West Indies, gathering momentum after a slow start, made 232 for seven from their 50 overs In an Innings that was briefly interrupted by a swarm of bees flying round the ground, prompting most of the players to lie flat on the ground until they had passed.

However, the real buzz came from Lara and Powell, who matched each other stroke for stroke In a fourth-wicket stand of 56 In eight overs. The Trinidadian left-hander stroked six fours and one six while all-rounder Powell struck five fours and one six.

They gave the innings timely impetus following an uneven batting performance initially after West Indies captain Jimmy Adams had won the toss on a fine though cloudy afternoon. Zimbabwe, despite fielding an attack weakened by the absence through Injury of Heath Streak, their main strike bowler, as well as fellow pacemen Henry Ologa and Pommic Mbangwa. restricted West Indies to 10 runs in the first eight overs.

Left-arm seamer Bryan Strang and Mluekl Nkala were responsible for this commendable start before Chris Gayle broke the shackles by driving and cutting the latter for three fours in the 10th over.

Wavell Hinds, who made his one-day best of 1 16 not out against Zimbabwe in a triangular tournament in the Caribbean last March, drove productively through the off side and struck Gary Brent s medium pacer for a straight six as he and Gayle began to lift the tempo by adding 68 for the sec ond wic ket in 17 overs