Mahedi Hasan’s career-best bowling performance and some sharp bowling in the death overs earned Bangladesh a seven-run win over West Indies in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent today.
Defending 148, Mahedi set the tone, bowling four overs on the trot up front and finishing with 4-13. But it was Hasan Mahmud’s final over that sealed the match in Bangladesh’s favour as the pacer successfully defended 10 runs by taking the final two wickets of the West Indies innings to bowl them out for 140 in 19.5 overs. Pacer Taskin Ahmed also took a couple of wickets.
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West Indies skipper Rovman Powell nearly took the hosts home with an exemplary 60 off just 35 balls but in the end, the Bangladesh bowlers held their nerves in a thrilling encounter.
Earlier, Soumya Sarkar’s 43 off 32 balls and a 13-ball 27 cameo from Shamim Hossain down the order helped Bangladesh post 147-6 in their 20 overs after they were asked to bat first.
Spinner Akeal Hosein and Obed McCoy took a couple of wickets each for the hosts.
The Tiger bowlers had West Indies cornered after the Powerplay, with the hosts reduced to 36-3.
Mahedi then struck twice in the seventh over and Tanzim Sakib and Rishad Hossain took one wicket each to have the West Indies reeling on 61-7 after 11.4 overs.
Powell and Romario Shephard added 67 runs off just 33 balls for the eighth wicket to once again put West Indies in the ascendency.
Taskin got Shephard, who made 22 off 17 balls, caught at deep midwicket at the start of the 18th over and gave away just two in the over to keep the Tigers alive in the contest.
Tanzim then conceded eight in the 19th, leaving 10 to defend for Hasan, who did his job brilliantly.
With the win, Bangladesh go 1-0 up in the series. The next match will be held at the same venue on Wednesday.
Mahedi’s four-for puts Tigers on top
Mahedi Hasan finished with his career-best 4-13 in his four overs as Bangladesh have the upper hand 12 overs into West Indies’ chase, having reduced the hosts to 62-7 defending 148 in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent today.
Pacer Taskin Ahmed was the first bowler to find success, getting Brandon King caught for one in the second over.
The off-spinner then got into his act, first getting Nicholas Pooran (one) stumped in the third over before forcing opener Johnson Charles (20 off 12 balls), who was looking to get a move on, to hit one straight to mid-on in the fifth.
Mahedi then struck twice in the seventh over, getting Roston Chase (seven) and Andre Fletcher (0) caught behind to put Bangladesh in the ascendency.
Tanzim Sakib, who had leaked 25 runs in his lone over in the Powerplay, made ammends in his second over, getting Gudakesh Motie caught behind for six to put West Indies under even more pressure.
Akeal Hossein then got caught for two off Rishad Hossain in the 12th over as West Indies are now left with just three wickets in hand.
The hopes of the hosts now hinge on captain Rovman Powell, who is batting on 16 and the dangerous Romario Shephard who is unbeaten on one.
Soumya’s 43 and Shamim’s cameo take Tigers to 147-6
Soumya Sarkar’s 43 off 32 balls and a 13-ball 27 cameo from Shamim Hossain down the order helped Bangladesh post 147-6 in their 20 overs against West Indies in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent today.
West Indian bowlers did a good job in restricting the Tigers on a pitch where the ball was seemingly coming onto the bat nicely. Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein set the tone early with his four-over spell with the new ball which yielded two wickets for just 13 runs. Home town hero pacer Obed McCoy also picked up two wickets for 30 in his four overs.
Sent to bat, Bangladesh’s top-order could not get going once again as the visitors were three down for 32 after the first six overs.
Opener Tanzid Tamim (six) and skipper Liton Das (0) departed in consecutive deliveries in the third over off Akeal, the former getting bowled and the latter giving a simple return catch.
Afif Hossain (eight) survived the hattrick ball but was eventually caught in the sixth over off Roston Chase, attempting to play a reverse sweep.
Soumya, meanwhile, carried on batting his merry way, unperturbed by the wickets falling at the other end, and formed a 57-run partnership with Jaker Ali off 42 balls,
The partnership ended once Jaker departed after a run-a-ball 27. Soumya, who hit two fours and three sixes in his stay, could not complete a half-century, falling victim to a beautifully disguised slower delivery from McCoy which crashed onto his stumps.
Soumya had survived a close call on 41, when Gudakesh Motie nearly pulled off a brilliant catch but upon inspection the third umpire declared the catch was taken cleanly.
In the last five overs, Mahedi Hasan held one end up while Shamim cut loose, hitting one four and three sixes in his entertaining knock, which helped Bangladesh get there score near the 150 mark.
Shamim miscued his shot and got caught off McCoy in the final over while Mahedi remained unbeaten on 26 off 24 balls.
Tigers lost the toss, sent to bat first
Bangladesh lost the toss and were asked to bat first in the first game of the three-match T20I series against West Indies at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent today.
Liton Das is leading the team in the absence of regular captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Afif Hossain returned to the T20I eleven after almost one year.
Taskin Ahmed will lead the three-pronged pace attack which includes Tanzim Sakib and Hasan Mahmud while Rishad Hossain and Mahedi Hasan form the spin bowling department.
The Tigers had lost the preceding three-match ODI series 3-0 and would be hoping to make a come back in the T20I series.
Interestingly, Bangladesh have a better record at St Vincent in T20Is than West Indies, as the hosts have played two T20Is at the venue and lost both while the visitors have played three games here during this year’s ICC T20 World Cup, winning against Nepal and the Netherlands while losing to Afghanistan in the Super Eights.
Bangladesh XI: Liton Das (capt & wk), Shamim Hossain, Tanzid Tamim, Soumya Sarkar, Afif Hossain, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Sakib, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud
West Indies XI: Brandon King, Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Andre Fletcher, Rovman Powell (capt), Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy
