29 May 2004	Saturday	09 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

GROS ISLET, May 28: Habibul Bashar completed a half-century to help Bangladesh make a sensational start to the opening cricket Test against West Indies on Friday.

Choosing to bat, the visitors reached 101 for one at the lunch interval with Habibul, the Bangladesh captain, unbeaten on 65, and Javed Omar not out on 27. Habibul faced 81 balls and hit 10 fours and was fortunate to have batted for so long.

Habibul received admirable support from the circumspect Javed and they added 101 for the unbroken second wicket partnership after the visitors made an inauspicious start. Opener Hannan Sarkar was adjudged lbw to the first ball of the match from left-arm medium-fast bowler Pedro Collins for zero.

With the West Indies fast bowlers emasculated by the benign nature of the Beausejour Stadium pitch and not helping their cause with wayward bowling, Habibul and Javed mixed sound defence with aggression to stage a brave recovery for the minnows of international cricket.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH (1st Innings):

Hannan Sarkar lbw b Collins 0

Javed Omar not out 27

Habibul Bashar not out 65

EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-7) 9

TOTAL (for one wkt, 26 overs) 101

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0.

TO BAT: Rajin Saleh, Mohammad Ashraful, Faisal Hossain, Khaled Mashud, Tapash Baisya, Khaled Mahmud, Tareq Aziz, Enamul Haque.

BOWLING (to-date): Collins 7-1-34-1 (2nb); Edwards 6-1-22-0 (1nb); Lawson 4-0-21-0 (2nb); Best 5-0-17-0; D.R. Smith 4-1-5-0 (2nb).

WEST INDIES: C.H. Gayle, D.S. Smith, B.C. Lara, R.R. Sarwan, S. Chanderpaul, D.R. Smith, R.D. Jacobs, T.L. Best, P.T. Collins, F.H. Edwards, J.J.C. Lawson.

UMPIRES: D.J. Harper (Australia) and J.W. Lloyds (England).

TV UMPIRE: B.E.W. Morgan (West Indies).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Mahanama (Sri Lanka). -Agencies