KHULNA, Bangladesh, CMC – Erratic West Indies were left tottering on the brink of an embarrassing series loss after another abysmal performance saw them slump to a belittling 160-run defeat to Bangladesh in the second One-Day International.
If the Caribbean side were lacklustre in Friday’s opening loss, they slipped to the level of the indifferent here yesterday, allowing an energised Bangladesh to rattle up a challenging 292 for six and then keeling over for 132 off 31.1 overs without so much as a whimper.
The victory was Bangladesh’s largest ever in ODIs in terms of runs and another win in Wednesday’s third ODI in Dhaka will see them to their first ever series triumph over a top flight West Indies side.
Teenaged opener Anamul Haque was the architect of Bangladesh’s total, superbly crafting 120, his maiden ODI century in only his second match in international cricket.
Captain Mushfiqur Rahim stroked 79, sharing in a record 174-run third wicket stand with Anamul which set up the innings nicely for the final flourish.
The partnership was the highest for any wicket in ODIs against West Indies and the Tigers’ best ever against a Test playing nation.
Fast bowler Ravi Rampaul’s five for 49 was not enough to contain the damage.
In reply, West Indies were rocked by seasoned left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak (3-19) and rookie off-spinner Sohag Gazi (3-21), to plunge to their lowest-ever ODI total against Bangladesh.
Darren Bravo (28) and vice-captain Kieron Pollard (25) were the only batsmen to pass 20 and but failed to convert though they resisted.
Winning the toss proved just about the only thing that went right for West Indies, as they claimed the dangerous duo of Tamim Iqbal (5) and Naeem Islam (6) cheaply, as Bangladesh slipped to 21 for two in the seventh over.
Anamul and Mushfiqur then came to the Tigers’ aid, mobilising the innings in an upbeat stand that required just 177 balls.
The right-handed Anamul struck 13 fours and two sixes off 145 balls while Mushfiqur cracked eight fours and a six in an innings lasting 87 balls.
Anamul started positively, flicking wayward seamer Andre Russell behind square for four to collect his first runs, before proceeding to expertly manipulate the Windies attack.
He reached fifty off 60 balls with a late cut for four off off-spinner Marlon Samuels and then kept his head down to reach three figures off 138 balls in the 47th over.
With his century behind him, he tore in Russell in the next over, carting him for two leg-side sixes and a four, in an over that cost 21 runs.
Rampaul removed Mushfiqur and Nasir Hossain (4) in successive overs as Bangladesh stumbled briefly at 201 for four at the end of the 39th over, but 91 run runs flowed from the last 11 overs to end the innings of a high.
Even when West Indies lost openers Lendl Simmons (9) and Chris Gayle (15) to be 32 for two in the eighth over, there still was no sign of the pending meltdown, as Bravo and Marlon Samuels carried on to reach 63 without further loss.
However, the last eight wickets tumbled for 69 runs off 104 balls, as West Indies staged one of their now famous capitulations.
Samuels made 16 off 21 balls before cutting at the fifth delivery of a new spell from Gazi and edging behind to Mushfiqur and in the next over with just two runs added, Dwayne Smith missed a defensive prod at a straight one from Razzak and departed without scoring.
The left-handed Bravo, who faced 41 balls and struck three fours, seemed most likely to hang around until he flirted with a wide one from Razzak and was taken behind on the third attempt. When Devon Thomas was bowled through the gate two balls later without scoring, West Indies were collapsing in a heap at 78 for six.
Pollard and captain Darren Sammy (12) managed to halt the clatter of wickets with a 22-run stand for the seventh wicket but restraint proved well beyond Sammy and he holed out to deep cover, attempting his second six off off-spinner Mahmudullah.
There was still hope, albeit slim, of a miraculous Windies victory with big-hitting Pollard and Russell (9) still at the wicket. This all but perished when the right-handed Pollard played back and down the wrong line and was bowled by off-spinner Naeem Islam at 111 for eight in the 28th over. The end came swiftly for the Windies as Russell was run out attempting a quick single and one ball later in the next over, Sunil Narine tapped a catch to short cover off Gazi.
Scoreboard
BANGLADESH
Tamim Iqbal c Pollard b Russell 5
Anamul Haque c Narine b Rampaul 120
Naeem Islam c Narine b Rampaul 6
*+Mushfiqur Rahim c Simmons b Rampaul 79
Nasir Hossain c Gayle b Rampaul 4
Mominul Haque c Pollard b Rampaul 31
Mahmudullah not out 3
Mashrafe Mortaza not out 18
Extras (lb 6, w 19, nb 1) 26
TOTAL (6 wkts; 50 overs) 292
Did not bat: Sohag Gazi, Abul Hasan, Abdur Razzak
Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Tamim Iqbal, 3.1 overs), 2-21 (Naeem Islam, 6.5), 3-195 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 36.4), 4-201 (Nasir Hossain, 38.5), 5-265 (Mominul Haque, 48.2), 6-265 (Anamul Haque, 48.3)
Bowling: Rampaul 10-1-49-5, (w4, n1), Russell 9-0-58-1, Sammy 5-0-35-0, Narine 10-1-48-0 (w2), Smith 9-0-46-0 (w1), Samuels 7-0-50-0 (w2).
WEST INDIES
L Simmons c Tamim Iqbal b Sohag Gazi 9
C Gayle c wkp Mushfiqur Rahim b Mashrafe Mortaza 15
D Bravo c wkp Mushfiqur Rahim b Abdur Razzak 28
M Samuels c wkp Mushfiqur Rahim b Sohag Gazi 16
D Smith lbw b Abdur Razzak 0
K Pollard b Naeem Islam 25
+D Thomas b Abdur Razzak 0
*D Sammy c sub (Jahurul Islam) b Mahmudullah 12
A Russell run out 9
S Narine c Tamim Iqbal b Sohag Gazi 10
R Rampaul not out 0
Extras (lb2, w6) 8
TOTAL (all out; 31.1 overs) 132
Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Simmons, 4.4 overs), 2-32 (Gayle, 7.4), 3-63 (Samuels, 13.5), 4-65 (Smith, 15), 5-78 (Bravo, 18.2), 6-78 (Thomas, 18.4), 7-100 (Sammy, 24.5), 8-111 (Pollard, 27.3), 9-132 (Russell, 31), 10-132 (Narine, 31.1)
Bowling: Sohag Gazi 7.1-2-21-3 (w1), Mashrafe Mortaza 6-0-26-1 (w1), Abdur Razzak 5-0-19-3 (w1), Abul Hasan 1-0-9-0 (w1), Naeem Islam 7-0-28-1(w1), Mahmudullah 5-0-27-1 (w1).
Result: Bangladesh won by 160 runs.
Series: Bangladesh lead five-match series 2-0.
Man-of-the-Match: Anamul Haque.
Toss: West Indies.
Umpires: Enamul Haque, Ranmore Martinesz; TV – Anisur Rahman
