Teams share honours in rain-affected match
On a day of frenetic activity, both Bangladesh and West Indies played positive cricket including a sporting declaration by the hosts setting their opponents a target of 226 in 37 overs but there wasn’t enough time for a result in the end. After two full days were consumed by rain, Bangladesh were clearly the team in ascendancy earning a first innings lead of 106 runs. Mushfiqur Rahim declared second time around on 119 for 3, in reply, West Indies did give the chase a thought but soon realized that the target was too much of an ask on a turning fifth day pitch.
With the chances of a result miniscule, the passage of play was supposed to be boring but debutant spinner Elias Sunny caught everybody’s eye with a stellar display, taking 6 for 94, the second best figures for a Bangladesh bowler on debut. He added one more scalp to his match figures by removing Kraigg Braithwaite in the first over of the chase. Despite an early wicket, Lendl Simmons kept his team interested with a brisk 44 that included five boundaries and a six.
With Kirk Edwards playing the anchor role, Darren Bravo played aggressively as West Indies scored at nearly five an hour. However, they ran out of time, the captains decided to shake hands when the visitors had reached 100 for 2 after 22 overs.
The relatively exciting end was set up by a sporting declaration by Bangladesh for second time in the match. Ahead by 106 runs, their openers tried to build on the lead with a cautious approach against the new ball. They were looking good at 32 for zero when Imrul Kayes was caught behind off Rampaul for 13, minutes before the Lunch break. Shahriar Nafees and Tamim Iqbal steadied the innings, never giving an impression of an impending declaration. Nafees played well for his fifty as they declared on 119 for three.
Before that, it was Sunny who continued to shine at ZACS on the fifth morning, notching up a six-for on debut, only the fourth Bangladeshi bowler to do so as West Indies were all-out for 244 half-way through the session. Despite an aggressive fifty by Darren Sammy, the visitors conceded a lead of 106 runs.
Resuming on 144 for 5, Marlon Samuels started on a bright note by dispatching Sunny through the covers but fell to an injudicious shot in the next over to give the debutant a fifer. With the pitch assisting the spinners, new man in Darren Sammy adopted an aggressive approach to score some quick runs. He along with other overnight batsman, Carlton Baugh added 60 runs in 7 overs to take West Indies past 200. While Sammy targeted the left arm spinners, Baugh scored freely against the pace of Rubel Hossain and was finally removed by Sunny, bowled around his legs for 30.
Sammy carried on batting in the same manner after Baugh, smashing a couple of balls into the stands, but tried to hit one too many to be bowled by Shakib for 43-ball 58 laced with eight boundaries. Before that, Ravi Rampaul was also removed by Shakib as West Indies were looking for quick runs to keep the lead at a minimum. The same bowler accounted for last man Devendra Bishoo bowling out the Windies for 244.
Day 4: Bulletin on next page
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