Record total stumps Windies
Bangladesh level T20 series
ROVMAN POWELL’S maiden Twenty20 International halfcentury went in vain as West Indies caved in under the pressure of a difficult run chase to go down by 36 runs in the second T20 International here yesterday.
In pursuit of 212 for victory at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, West Indies put up a fight before folding for 175 at the start of the final over, leaving the series level at 1-1 and turning tomorrow’s final match into the series decider.
Powell slammed 50 off 34 balls, while the in-form Shai Hope chipped in with a sparkling 36 off 19 deliveries, but captain and left-arm spinner Shakib-alHasan scythed through the innings with a career-best five for 20 as West Indies slumped to 101 for five at the end of the 11th over.
Keemo Paul arrived at number nine to pummel 29 off 16 balls but by then, Bangladesh were in command of the contest and the result was only a formality.
Opener Liton Das had earlier lashed a top score of 60 off 34 deliveries as the hosts rallied to a record 211 for four off their 20 overs – their highest-ever score at home and their secondhighest ever.
Mahmudullah smashed an unbeaten 43 from 21 balls towards the end and Shakib, not to be left out, chipped in with a typically breezy 42 not out off 26 deliveries.
Entering the contest hoping to seal their first T20I series win of the year, West Indies found themselves on the backfoot early as Das and Tamim Iqbal (15) put on 42 off 25 balls for the first wicket.
Tamim, though, was not at his most fluent, and after being put down on 13, finally perished when he pulled left-arm spinner Fabian Allen to Sheldon Cottrell at midwicket in the fifth over.
Das, who counted six fours and four sixes, then added a whirlwind 68 for the second wicket with Soumya Sarkar, whose 32 came from 22 deliveries and included three fours and a six.
However, left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell removed both in the 12th over, and when Mushfiqur holed out to deep midwicket off Thomas in the 13th over, West Indies were back in the contest at 120 for four.
That was the Caribbean side’s last sighting of success as Mahmudullah and Shakib combined in a devastating 91run, unbroken fifth-wicket stand which fired Bangladesh past the 200-run mark.
EARLY BLOW
In reply, West Indies suffered an early blow when Evin Lewis (1) picked out deep midwicket off left-arm seamer Abu Hider in the third over, but Hope once again entertained, if only briefly, with six audacious fours – including four in succession off seamer Mustafizur Rahman (250) in the fourth over.
He added 41 with Nicholas Pooran, who made 14 before holing out at backward square leg trying to lift Shakib for a second consecutive six in the fifth over.
Hope followed in the next over, caught on the ropes at midwicket off off-spinner Mehidy Hasan; and though Powell put on 36 with Shimron Hetmyer (19) for the fourth wicket, the Windies collapsed as Shakib wrecked the innings.