Gabriel puts Windies on top after Da Silva, Joseph half-centuries
DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – Joshua Da Silva and Nkrumah Bonner both fell agonisingly short of hundreds while tailender Alzarri Joseph lashed an attacking half-century, but it was speedster Shannon Gabriel who rattled Bangladesh with a brace of wickets to put West Indies in command of the second Test here yesterday.
In another hugely impressive showing by the under-strength side on day two of the contest at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, West Indies rallied to 409 all out in their first innings, 15 minutes before the scheduled tea interval.
Da Silva, unbeaten overnight on 22, top-scored with 92 while Nkrumah Bonner fell for 90 after resuming the morning on 74.
Perhaps the highlight of the innings, however, was Joseph’s stunning 82 as he put the Bangladesh bowlers to the sword on either side of lunch in a breathtaking display of powerful hitting.
Gabriel (2-31) then rocked the innings immediately after tea by sending back Soumya Sarkar without scoring and Najmul Hossain for four in successive overs at the start, as Bangladesh slumped to 11 for two.
Opener Tamim Iqbal struck a breezy 44 in a half-century stand with captain Mominul Haque (21) but both fell six balls apart on the stroke of the final hour, to leave the innings on 105 for four at the close and the Caribbean side with a lead of 304 runs heading in today’s third day.
Resuming the day on 223 for five, West Indies flourished inside the first hour as Da Silva and Bonner extended their sixth wicket partnership to 88 before being separated.
Da Silva gathered most of his 10 boundaries with crisp cuts and drives through the off side as he faced 187 balls in nearly 4-½ hours at the crease.
He reached his second Test half-century in only this third Test on the stroke of the first hour with a reverse sweep to the third man boundary off off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
Bonner, meanwhile, hit seven fours off 209 deliveries in a shade under 4-¾ hours.
Having made 86 in a matchwinning effort in the first Test, the Jamaican again fell short of triple figures when he clipped Mehidy to Mohammad Mithun at leg slip, two overs before the first drinks break.
Left with an hour before lunch to run through the tail, Bangladesh encountered stubborn resistance in the form of a savage counter-attack from Joseph as West Indies stormed to lunch on 325 for six.
The right-hander, who hit his maiden Test fifty on the recent tour of New Zealand, belted eight fours and five sixes off 108 balls in just under 2-½ hours, as he put on 118 for the seventh wicket with Da Silva.
Joseph signaled his intentions in the second over after the drinks break with two successive boundaries off Mehidy before driving off-spinner Nayeem Islam exquisitely to the long off boundary in the next over.
His first six sailed over long on off Mehidy and his second was a mighty blow over wide long on off left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (4-108).
Boundaries on either side of the wicket in successive overs from pacer Abu Jayed (4-98) left Joseph unbeaten on 34 on lunch, partnered by Da Silva on 52.
He continued to entertain after the interval and raised his fifty by clearing the ropes at mid-wicket with Nayeem, to also take West Indies past 350 for the second time in the series but only the third time in their last 33 innings.
Against the run of play, Da Silva was bowled between bat
and pad by Taijul and Joseph followed in the next over from Abu, caught at the wicket essaying another ambitious leg side stroke, as West Indies lost their last four wickets for 25 runs.
Working up a fair turn of pace, Gabriel struck with the sixth ball of the innings with a single run on the board when he had Soumya nervously clipping a simple catch to Kyle Mayers at short mid-wicket.
In his next over, Gabriel then removed left-hander Najmul to a superb catch at gully by Bonner, as Bangladesh stumbled further.
Tamim countered with halfdozen fours and a six in a 58-run, third wicket partnership with
Mominul, helping the hosts stage a fightback.
However, two quick blows set them back. First, off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall had Mominul caught at the wicket cutting at one which bounced.
Joseph then knocked over Tamim, the left-hander picking out Shayne Moseley at short mid-wicket, to leave Bangladesh on 71 for four just before the start of the last hour.
Bangladesh regained their balance slightly, however, keeping West Indies without further success thanks to Mushfiqur Rahim who hit an unbeaten 27 in a 34-run, fifth wicket stand with Mithun (6 not out).
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Captain Leon Johnson hobbled to his second List A hundred as Guyana Jaguars won their second game on the bounce with a fivewicket victory over Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the Regional Super50 Cup here last night.
With his side on 233 for five in pursuit of 245 at Coolidge Cricket Ground, Johnson sprinted a short single with Romario Shepherd in the 47th over but immediately went down clutching his leg, and required on-field treatment.
On 90, he resumed his innings, pulling the next delivery – a rank long hop from medium pacer Devon Thomas – for four and then painfully jogging a single off the last delivery of the over to move to 95.
He hobbled a couple in the next over from West Indies leg-spinner, Hayden Walsh Jr, before reaching three figures when Terrance Warde at short fine leg mis-fielded a sweep off the third ball, and gifted a boundary.
Jaguars reached their target soon after with 13 balls to spare.
“It was good to see the team home even though I was in a bit of discomfort,” said Johnson, who finished unbeaten on 104 off 123 deliveries and struck a dozen fours and one six.
“It’s a bit sore actually. It’s just some cramps. I have to get some ice and some tablets. I don’t think it is a [tear].”
Johnson posted a pivotal 101 for the fifth wicket with veteran all-rounder Chris Barnwell who played an invaluable innings with 49 off 52 balls, before adding a further 54 in an unbroken sixth wicket partnership with Shepherd (17).
Out-of-favour West Indies left-hander, Kieran Powell, had earlier missed out on three figures with 94 while his opening partner Ross Powell – of no relation – carved out 61, as Hurricanes posted an inadequate 244 for nine off their 50 overs.
The pair put on 152 for the first wicket but once they were separated, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie (4-45) and seamer Niall Smith (3-47) ran through the innings.
“I think we were about 30 runs short. The wicket was a little tacky at first but I still think we should have scored 285, 290,” captain Thomas said afterwards.
“We need to go back to the drawing board and see what we can come with next match.”
Kieran Powell belted four fours and sixes off 97 deliveries while Ross Powell extended his consistent run with eight fours in a 99-ball knock, before holding out to deep mid-wicket off Motie at the end of the 31st over.
With his sixth List A hundred within grasp, Kieran Powell drove a wide delivery from Motie to Johnson at cover in the 33rd over.
Only Thomas thereafter, with 24 off 31 balls, showed any enterprise but he was one of four wickets that perished for eight runs off 10 balls towards the end.
In reply, left-handers Chandrapaul Hemraj (24) and Assad Fudadin (22) posted 45 off 52 deliveries for the first wicket before Guyanese left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd (2-24) removed both, as three wickets tumbled for 31 runs, forcing Jaguars to rebuild.
And Johnson was at the heart of that effort, inspiring the century stand for the fourth wicket with Barnwell who smote three giant sixes and a four, to help Jaguars put their noses in front.
Fast bowler Sheeno Berridge accounted for Barnwell and Anthony Bramble (2) in successive overs to initiate a stumble at 191 for five in the 40th but Johnson and Shepherd kept their cool in the crucial half-century stand.
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