Brian Lara marked his birthday with a match-winning half-century as West Indies beat England by four wickets in the sixth one-day international at Beausejour Stadium.

The West Indies captain, who celebrated his 35th birthday yesterday, hit a superb 57 to ensure his side took victory with 2.5 overs to spare, moving into a 2-1 series lead with just the final match in Barbados on Wednesday remaining.

Lara's experience of 232 previous internationals was crucial in West Indies' pursuit of England's 280 for eight, keeping his composure after his side lost two wickets in quick succession to guide them to within 37 of another emphatic triumph.

Judging his singles brilliantly and punishing the bad balls ruthlessly, Lara stamped his authority on West Indies' run chase and by the time he was out they could afford to almost stroll past the finishing line.

His display was in stark contrast to the explosive innings provided by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who made amends for the early loss of opening partner Chris Gayle to hammer a brilliant 63 off 55 balls.

Picking up the aggressive mantle normally taken by Gayle, who fell leg before to Darren Gough in the third over, Chanderpaul tore into England's attack with such eagerness that captain Michael Vaughan was forced to use four bowlers in the first nine overs.

With Ricardo Powell offering aggressive support at the other end, the pair added 97 in only 12 overs when Vaughan turned to the seam bowling of Rikki Clarke and off-spinner Gareth Batty.

Batty was in the side in place of Ian Blackwell and struck with his fifth delivery with Powell picking out substitute fielder Anthony McGrath, temporarily on the field while Andrew Flintoff received treatment for cramp, at long on.

Just two deliveries later and with his first ball of the match, Clarke ended Chanderpaul's entertaining innings after he tried to hook from outside off stump and instead looped the ball gently to Batty at mid-wicket.

For the next 14 overs Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan looked for as many quick singles as possible and left England looking drained and beaten.

Even another mini collapse, Sarwan bowled off an inside edge by Flintoff and Dwayne Smith following two overs later when he lofted Batty to Andrew Strauss at long on, could not deflect West Indies from their victory march.

Lara reached his half-century in style by firstly driving Gough down the pitch so fiercely that the Essex seamer had to take evasive action and then hitting the next ball through mid-off for another boundary.

It took a rare misjudgement to end Lara's innings with 11 overs remaining when he pulled Steve Harmison from outside off-stump and picked out Gough in the deep but by then the job was almost done and Ridley Jacobs and Dwayne Bravo wrapped up victory eight overs later.

The ease of West Indies' victory underlined England's failure to make the most of consistent contributions from almost all their top order.

After losing Marcus Trescothick in the tenth over England looked good with Michael Vaughan providing a steadying role.

The England captain scored 67 at almost a run a ball and helped Middlesex batsman Strauss to his maiden one-day international half-century during an 84-run second-wicket stand which should have provided the launchpad for a formidable total.

Vaughan's innings, which included seven boundaries, was only ended by a brilliant direct throw from just behind square from Powell that beat the England captain's despairing lunge at the non-striker's end after he tried to take a quick single.

The more worrying sign for England was Vaughan's collision with Gayle, jarring his left shoulder into the West Indian's knee.

Vaughan would have been soothed by the sight of Strauss and Flintoff adding 58 in ten overs to put England in a comfortable position of 199 for two with 12 overs remaining.

Instead of accelerating from that position, however, England imploded with Strauss given leg before to Gayle's yorker while Flintoff and Paul Collingwood fell within an over of each other after being caught in the deep.