BASSETERRE (St Kitts): Denesh Ramdin and Darren Bravo both scored centuries in a record-breaking third wicket partnership as West Indies crushed Bangladesh here on Monday to wrap-up a 3-0 one-day series win.

The pair put on 258, a record for a third-wicket partnership in a One-day International, and the joint eighth highest one day partnership of any kind.

West Indies made 338-7 in their 50 overs with Bangladesh finishing on 247-8. West Indies’ total was their fifth-highest.

The hosts made a shaky start to be reduced to 12-2 when openers Lendl Simmons and Chris Gayle were both dismissed for six but that gave skipper Ramdin and Bravo more time at the crease.

Ramdin, who has been in fine form in the one-day game since taking over from Darren Sammy as captain, struck 169 from 121 balls, including 11 sixes and eight fours. Ramdin’s score was the joint third highest total made by a West Indies batsman in a One-day International, equalling Brian Lara’s 169 against Sri Lanka in 1995.

Only Vivian Richards, arguably the greatest of the many batting masters from the Caribbean, has higher individual scores — 189 not out against England at Old Trafford in 1984 and 181 against Sri Lanka at the 1987 World Cup match in Karachi.

Bravo may have been overshadowed by the wicket-keeper/batsman’s big hitting, but he eventually unfurled his most fluent and powerful shots, hammering eight sixes and seven fours off 127 deliveries before a tired swing at off-spinner Mahmudullah brought about his demise to a catch at backward-point.

Yet Bangladesh were left to rue what could have been for Mushfiqur missed a straightforward stumping chance off Abdur Razzak when Bravo was just on ten.

Razzak himself was subsequently at fault in the field as he moved lethargically at mid-on towards a miscued swing by Ramdin, then on 35, off Mashrafe Mortaza. Al-Amin Hossain, who finally got rid of Ramdin, finished with 4-59.

Needing a monumental effort to even be competitive after their capitulation for just 70 in the second one-dayer in Grenada three days earlier, Bangladesh were boosted by a 99-run third-wicket stand between Tamim Iqbal (55) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim but were never really in the hunt Kemar Roach pulled off a stunning one-handed catch to remove Imrul Kayes off Ravi Rampaul, who ended with figures of 4-29.

Recognising that his team’s chances of challenging such a formidable total were effectively gone when Tamim was bowled by Sunil Narine in the 22nd over, the tourists’ captain settled on determined occupation of the crease rather than gambling on rampant aggression to top score with 72.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES:

L.M.P. Simmons c M’dullah b Mashrafe 6
C.H. Gayle c Mushfiqur b Al-Amin 6
D.M. Bravo c Imrul b M’dullah 124
D. Ramdin c Nasir b Al-Amin 169
K.A. Pollard c Tamim b Razzak 10
D.J.G. Sammy c Razzak b Al-Amin 10
D.J. Bravo not out 3
J.O. Holder c Nasir b Al-Amin 0
S.P. Narine not out 0
EXTRAS (LB-4, W-6) 10

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 338

FALL OF WKTS: 1-7, 2-12, 3-270, 4-302, 5-320, 6-338, 7-338.

DID NOT BAT: K.A.J. Roach, R. Rampaul.

BOWLING: Sohag Gazi 9-0-63-0; Mashrafe Mortaza 10-0-69-1; Al-Amin Hossain 10-1-59-4 (1w); Abdur Razzak 10-0-76-1 (4w); Mohammad Mahmudullah 10-1-48-1 (1w); Mominul Haque 1-0-19-0.

BANGLADESH:

Tamim Iqbal b Narine 55
Anamul Haque c Sammy b Holder 0
Imrul Kayes c Roach b Rampaul 1
Mushfiqur Rahim c Sammy b Rampaul 72
Mominul Haque c Sammy b D.J. Bravo 5
Mahmudullah c Ramdin b Roach 27
Nasir Hossain c Roach b Rampaul 26
Sohag Gazi b Rampaul 24
Mashrafe Mortaza not out 15
Abdur Razzak not out 5

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-13, NB-2) 17

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 247

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-2, 3-101, 4-108, 5-163, 6-178, 7-215, 8-230.

DID NOT BAT: Al-Amin Hossain.

BOWLING: Holder 8-0-47-1 (1nb); Rampaul 10-2-29-4 (3w); D.J. Bravo 5-1-32-1 (1nb, 1w); Roach 9-0-48-1 (1w); Narine 10-0-31-1; Gayle 8-0-58-0 (4w).

RESULT: West Indies won by 91 runs to win series 3-0.

UMPIRES: J.S. Wilson (West Indies) and R.A. Kettleborough (England).

TV UMPIRE: Aleem Dar (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Denesh Ramdin.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Denesh Ramdin.

FIRST MATCH: St George’s, West Indies won by three wickets.

SECOND MATCH: St George’s, West Indies won by 177 runs.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2014