A Marlon Samuels half-century was not enough to save West Indies from defeat, as Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim produced a superb unbeaten 41 to fire his side to a three-wicket win with a ball to spare in the one-off Twenty20 International yesterday.
The right-handed Samuels’ 58 formed the foundation of the West Indies’ 132 for eight after they were sent in at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
However, Mushfiqur produced a fine innings, hammering a six off the penultimate ball of the match to help Bangladesh draw first blood in the series that comprises three one-day internationals and two Tests.
West Indies got off to a slow start when openers Lendl Simmons (23) and Adrian Barath (15) added a lazy 25 from 26 balls.
The innings gained momentum through a 36-run, second-wicket stand off 30 balls between Simmons and Samuels, but once they were parted, the innings lost its way badly.
Samuels, who hit a hundred in a T20 tour match last Sunday, counted two fours and four sixes off 42 balls.
In reply, Bangladesh lost key wickets along the way to slump to 93 for six in the 16th over before Mushfiqur and Nasir Hossain (18) posted a crucial 31 off 24 balls for the seventh wicket.
When Nasir was caught behind off the third ball of the final over, Bangladesh still required five for victory but Mushfiqur promptly dispatched the fifth delivery over midwicket to end the match emphatically.
Samuels, whose four overs of spin cost a miserly 14 runs and yielded two wickets, then bowled the dangerous Shakib Al Hasan for a first-ball duck off the very next ball to leave Bangladesh reeling at 49 for three in the eighth over.
Earlier, the Windies lost Barath trying to accelerate the scoring, caught at mid-on by Tamim Iqbal off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan.
Samuels got off the mark in style with a six over backward square off pacer Rubel Hossain and followed up two balls later by hammering the same bowler over point for another six.
Simmons slapped left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak for a six over long on but played back to the next ball and was lbw at 61 for two at the end of the ninth, and André Russell (5) – promoted to number four – and Darren Bravo (7) failed to make any impression, as the Windies slumped to 105 for four in the 16th over.
Source:CMC
