KHULNA, Bangladesh, CMC – An ordinary batting effort crippled West Indies and sent them tumbling to a disappointing seven wicket defeat to Bangladesh in the opening One-Day International here yesterday.
Opting to bat first at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium, the tourists were undermined by Man-of-the-Match off-spinner Sohag Gazi’s four-wicket haul, to capitulate to 199 all out off 46.5 overs.
Sunil Narine top-scored with 36 while Darren Bravo and Chris Gayle both got 35, but left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak (3-39) helped Gazi spin a web around West Indies.
Floundering at 133 for eight in the 33rd over, West Indies needed a 57-run ninth wicket partnership between tail-enders Narine and Ravi Rampaul (25) to reach their eventual total.
In their turn at the crease, Bangladesh cruised courtesy of contrasting half-centuries from opener Tamim Iqbal (58) and Naeem Islam (50 not out), to draw first blood in the five-match series.
West Indies showed none of the momentum gained from their Test series win, producing a lame performance to gift the Tigers much needed confidence.
Defeat was furthest from their minds, however, when Gayle exploded at the top of the order as he put on 48 for the first wicket with Lendl Simmons (13).
The big-hitting left-hander threatened something special, pummelling four fours and two sixes off 40 balls. He was particularly severe on seamer Mashrafe Mortaza, taking two fours and a six off the right-armer’s third over, the fifth of the innings, which cost 14 runs.
He also took a turn in pacer Abul Hasan, belting him over cover for his second six and following up with two thumping fours in the tenth over of the innings that went for 16.
Simmons, dropped on 12 by Gazi at mid-on off Abul Hasan, added just one before he departed lbw to Mashrafe Mortaza in the 11th over, triggering a collapse that saw three wickets fall for two runs in the space of 20 balls.
Gayle holed out to long-on in the next over off Gazi and Marlon Samuels faced nine balls without scoring before edging a drive at the off-spinner to Mahmudullah at slip at 50 for three. Bravo, whose knock included four fours and a six off 41 balls, repaired the damage in a 50-run, fourth wicket stand with Kieron Pollard (15).
But just when West Indies seemed to be climbing out of the mire, Pollard pulled an ordinary delivery from Abdur Razzak to short mid-wicket and four balls later in the next over, Bravo suffered a bad mix up with Devon Thomas and perished via the run out route.
Scoreboard
WEST INDIES
L Simmons lbw b Mashrafe Mortaza 13
C Gayle c Tamim Iqbal b Sohag Gazi 35
D Bravo run out 35
M Samuels c Mahmudullah b Sohag Gazi 0
K Pollard c Mashrafe Mortaza b Abdur Razzak 15
+D Thomas c Abdur Razzak b Sohag Gazi 16
*D Sammy c Naeem Islam b Mahmudullah 10
A Russell b Abdur Razzak 0
S Narine lbw b Sohag Gazi 36
R Rampaul c wkp Mushfiqur Rahim b Abdur Razzak 25
K Roach not out 3
Extras (lb1, w10) 11
TOTAL (all out; 46.5 overs) 199
Fall of wickets: 1-48 (Simmons, 10.3 overs), 2-48 (Gayle, 11.2), 3-50 (Samuels, 13.5), 4-100 (Pollard, 23), 5-102 (Bravo, 23.4), 6-128 (Sammy, 29.1), 7-130 (Russell, 30.4), 8-133 (Thomas, 32.2), 9-190 (Rampaul, 43), 10-199 (Narine, 46.5)
Bowling: Mashrafe Mortaza 9-2-39-1, Abul Hasan 8-0-45-0 (w1), Sohag Gazi 9.5-2-29-4 (w2), Abdur Razzak 10-1-39-3 (w1), Naeem Islam 1-0-17-0, Mahmudullah 9-0-29-1 (w2).
BANGLADESH
Tamim Iqbal c Pollard b Narine 58
Anamul Haque c & b Sammy 41
Naeem Islam not out 50
Nasir Hossain c Pollard b Russell 28
*+Mushfiqur Rahim not out 16
Extras (lb2, w5, nb1) 8
TOTAL (3 wkts; 40.2 overs) 201
Did not bat: Mahmudullah, Mominul Haque, Mashrafe Mortaza, Sohag Gazi, Abul Hasan, Abdur Razzak.
Fall of wickets: 1-88 (Tamim Iqbal, 15.1 overs), 2-112 (Anamul Haque, 22.4), 3-157 (Nasir Hossain, 31.3)
Bowling: Samuels 3-0-14-0 (w2), Rampaul 7.2-0-41-0, Roach 7-0-48-0 (w1), Narine 8-1-39-1 (nb1), Sammy 8-0-29-1, Russell 7-0-28-1 (w2).
Result: Bangladesh won by seven wickets.
Series: Bangladesh lead five-match series 1-0.
Toss: West Indies:
Man-of-the-Match: Sohag Gazi.
Umpires: Enamul Haque, Ranmore Martinesz; TV – Anisur Rahman.
