Fizz fails on good bowling day
There were concerns over Bangladesh's bowling department even before the team departed for Ireland for a tri-series, which will be followed by the ICC World Cup campaign. In their first international match of the sojourn, there were both good and bad elements as they managed to restrict West Indies for 261 for nine in 50 overs despite a flying start in the Tigers' opening game of the tri-nation series at Clontarf Cricket Club ground in Dublin yesterday.
It was Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza who led from the front with the ball and ended up picking three wickets for 49 runs from his 10 overs, while spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi Hasan Miraz's controlled bowling applied the brakes on the scoring rate of the Caribbean outfit in the middle overs.
However, it was yet another solid West Indian start after they elected to bat, despite first-choice opener John Campbell, who was involved in a world-record 365-run opening stand with Shai Hope in the previous game against Ireland, missing out due to a sore back.
Hope, along with Sunil Ambris, added 89 for the opening stand before Mehedi gave the breakthrough. The right-hander was caught sharply by Mahmudullah Riyad at point on 38. Shakib then came into the act and removed Dwayne Bravo in the next over for one. Hope then paired with Roston Chase and went on to add 115 runs for the third wicket but Shakib and Mehedi kept the run rate under control as they conceded 71 runs from their 20 overs and also picked up two wickets.
An in-form Hope went on to strike his second successive hundred, following his 170 against Ireland. It was his fourth century in eight innings.
From 205 for two in 40 overs West Indies were all set to post yet another big total but the Bangladesh bowlers made a good comeback riding on skipper Mashrafe, who removed Chase for 51 off 62 balls, which included two fours and a six.
The experienced seamer then struck a double blow to West Indies in the same over, first removing Hope -- caught at extra cover after scoring 109 off 132 balls with the help of 11 fours – and followed it up with the wicket of skipper Jason Holder for four as Bangladesh took control.
West Indies managed to score just 38 runs in the last five overs, where another seamer Mohammad Saifuddin came into the act bagging two wickets and ending with figures of two for 47 from his 10 overs.
But among all the positives it was left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman's bowling that remained a major concern for the Tigers. Mustafizur conceded 92 runs – the second most by a Bangladeshi bowler in ODIs after Shafiul Islam – in his previous game against New Zealand at Dunedin earlier this year. This time he went for 84 runs from his 10 overs and managed to pick two wickets in the latter stages of the innings, but more importantly his rhythm was no way close to what he is capable of.
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