PROVIDENCE: Bangladesh’s array of spin bowling talent again proved too much for the West Indies batting line-up to handle with the visitors completing a comprehensive series-clinching nine-wicket victory in the second One-day International of a three-match series at the Guyana National Stadium on Wednesday.

Beaten by six wickets in the first match at the same venue on Sunday, the home batters were even more inept in being dismissed for 108 off 35 overs.

Having been swept 2-0 in both the preceding Test and T20 series, the tourists extended the ODI dominance of their present foes in reaching the modest target with almost 30 overs to spare.

It was their 10th consecutive ODI victory over the West Indies and also ensures they remain unbeaten in ODI series against the Caribbean side since they lost the corresponding duel in the region in 2014.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz led the rout with figures of four for 29 while left-arm slow bowler Nasum Ahmed claimed three for 19 and the Man of the Match award as the home side’s batters once again appeared all at sea on a pitch which again offered considerable assistance to the spinners.

Tamim Iqbal then led the comfortable pursuit of such a modest target, sealing victory and reaching a 53rd ODI half-century with his seventh boundary.

“We really wanted to win this series very badly after losing in the Tests and T20 Internationals,” said Tamim in reflecting on a performance which gave Bangladesh at fifth straight ODI series win.

“We know this is the format we are strongest in and it was important to show that confidence after the earlier disappointments.”

Following their struggles in the rain-affected first match, West Indies tried to build a more stable platform after predictably being put in to bat.

However the dismissal of Kyle Mayers by the spin of Mosaddek Hossain after an opening stand of 27 in the 11th over triggered the slide which saw them crashing to 86 for nine in the 31st over.

An unbeaten 25 by all-rounder Keemo Paul and a last-wicket stand of 22 with fellow-Guyanese Gudakesh Motie at least took the West Indies past the 100-run mark.

Motie was the lone-wicket taker in the Bangladesh reply, dismissing Najmul Hossain Shanto for 20 to end an opening stand of 48 with Tamim.

Liton Das’ unbeaten 32 alongside his skipper ensured the romp to victory was completed in double-quick time.

“We didn’t show up as a batting unit today,” was the frank assessment of West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran, who fell to Nasum for a first-ball duck.

“It is quite frustrating our batting efforts of late in ODI cricket and we need to come together quickly to fix this situation.”

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES:

S. Hope c Mosaddek b Nasum 18 K. Mayers b Mosaddek 17 S. Brooks b Nasum 5 B. King b Mehidy 11 N. Pooran b Nasum 0 R. Powell c Mahmudullah b Shoriful 13 A. Hosein run out (Mustafizur) 2
K. Paul not out 25 R. Shepherd b Mehidy 4 A. Joseph c Nurul b Mehidy 0 G. Motie lbw Mehidy 6
EXTRAS (LB-3, W-5) 7 TOTAL (all out, 35 overs) 108 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-27 (Mayers), 2-39 (Brooks), 3-44 (Hope), 4-45 (Pooran), 5-69 (Powell), 6-72 (King), 7-72 (Hosein), 8-86 (Shepherd), 9-86 (Joseph) BOWLING: Mosaddek 10-0-37-1 (2w), Mustafizur 4-0-12-0, Mehidy 8-1-29-4, Nasum 10-4-19-3 (1w), Shoriful 3-0-9-1

BANGLADESH:

Tamim Iqbal not out 50 Najmul Hossain c Hosein b Motie 20 Liton Das not out 32 EXTRAS (B-1l, NB-1, W-8) 10 TOTAL (for one wicket, 20.4 overs) 112 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-48 (Shanto) DID NOT BAT: Mahmudullah, Atif Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan, Mosaddek Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman BOWLING: Joseph 3-0-7-0 (2w), Hosein 6-0-35-0 (3w), Motie 7.4-1-39-1 (2w), Pooran 2-0-14-0 (1w, 1nb), Paul 2-0-16-0 RESULT: Bangladesh won by nine wickets.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2022