Bangladesh reach tri-series final after victory over Windies

(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) – An excellent all-round display by Bangladesh secured their spot in the tri-series final with a game to spare after they clinched a five-wicket victory over West Indies in Dublin on Monday 13 May.

Both teams will now take part in the final on Friday, with hosts Ireland missing out.

Most of the Bangladesh players got in on the act today, but the headline performances came from Soumya Sarkar and Mushfiqur Rahim, who both made fifties, while Mustafizur Rahman and Mashrafe Mortaza excelled with the ball, claiming four wickets and three wickets respectively.

Bangladesh were set 248 for victory after Shai Hope and Jason Holder had shared a 100-run fifth-wicket stand for West Indies to help post a respectable but below-par first innings score.

Although the Tigers were shaken by two wickets in two balls from off-spinner Ashley Nurse (3/53), Bangladesh recovered with maturity and ultimately made light work of the chase, boosted by assured knocks from Mohammad Mithun and Mahmudullah to see their side home.

Both Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar got the second innings off to flier, flaying boundaries in the first few overs before 15 runs were smashed off the fifth. Tamim danced down the track to Nurse to bring up Bangladesh’s fifty before the twirler got his revenge when he squeezed one through the gate to make it 54/1.

The spinners began to tame the Tigers’ early adventure, but the classy Soumya Sarkar reached his fifty off 59 balls in the 17th over. Shortly after Bangladesh posted their hundred, Nurse delivered a double blow, with dangermen Soumya (54 from 67) and Shakib-al-Hasan (29 from 35) both gifting chances to the men on the drive, to make it 107/3.

Fabian Allen entered the attack, whose first two overs went for just three, as the two offies began to starve Bangladesh of runs. Rahim and Mithun regrouped, however, meaning West Indies were soon searching for another flurry of scalps.

Mithun and Rahim reached their fifty partnership before the former was bowled by Holder, but Mahmudullah and Rahim ushered the Tigers ever closer to victory. Rahim reached a 65-ball fifty before a sharp catch by Darren Bravo off the bowling of Kemar Roach saw him depart, but he and his teammates had already inflicted enough damage.

Earlier, Bangladesh managed to restrict West Indies to 247/9 in 50 overs, with Mustafizur Rahman claiming 4/43, making up for some below-par returns in his previous two ODI outings where he conceded 84 and 93 runs respectively, while Mashrafe Mortaza took 3/60. Spin duo Shakib-al-Hasan and Mehidy Hasan impressed again, with only 68 runs coming off their 20 overs.

West Indies opener Hope fell just short of his third century in this tri-series but still capitalised on his good form, with 87 off 108 balls, comprising six fours and a six. It was Hope and Holder who propelled the innings from 99/4 to 199/5, with the latter contributing 62 off 76 balls.

Sunil Ambris and Hope had struck six fours in the first five overs to give West Indies earlier impetus until the former, who had hit four boundaries, fell in the sixth over when he edged to Soumya at first slip off the bowling of Mashrafe Mortaza.

Darren Bravo’s ill-form continued when Mehidy trapped him in-front and Roston Chase struggled to get lift-off despite eating up 28 balls before granting midwicket a simple catch off Mustafizur. When Jonathan Carter fell lbw for three, West Indies were languishing on 99/4 after 24 overs before the Hope-Holder stand.

Shai Hope continued his excellent form with 87, while Mustafizur Rahman was the pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers with figures of 4/43 from nine overs.

There was a phase when West Indies failed to find the boundary for 103 deliveries, with Mustafizur and Shakib bowling very tidily before Holder found some joy against part-time pacer Soumya, with both he and Hope striking a maximum in the 38th and 42nd over respectively.

Mashrafe, bowling around the wicket in a bid to deny leg-side biffs, accounted for both Holder and Hope, before Shakib nabbed Fabian Allen in the 45th over. Mustafizur secured his four-wicket haul in the 49th, removing Nurse, who was caught in the deep, and trapping debutant Raymon Reifer lbw off his penultimate ball. (DN)

Scores:

West Indies 247-9 in 50 overs (S Hope 87, J Holder 62; Mustafizur 4-43)

Bangladesh 248-5 in 47.2 overs (Mushfiqur 63, Soumya 54; A Nurse 3-53)