Windies sweep

much-changed West Indies team beat Bangladesh by four wickets on Thursday at Warner Park in St Kitts & Nevis, finishing the CG United One Day International (ODI) series 3-0. The Caribbean side earned their first series sweep over a Test-playing nation since beating Sri Lanka in March 2021.

 

After conceding 321, the home team produced their second-highest successful run chase against a Full Member, a little over a year after knocking off 325 against England. The Men In Maroon finished on 325-6 with 24 balls remaining, the eighth-highest score ever at this venue.

 

Their batting owed a great deal to debutant batsman Amir Jangoo, who combined with Keacy Carty to put on a partnership of 132 runs, rescuing the team from 31-3 after 4.4 overs.  Jangoo finished unbeaten on 104 from 83 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes, the first West Indian in 46 years to score a century on ODI debut.

 

Carty played a significant role, too. Five runs shy of a century, he faced 88 deliveries, stroking 10 boundaries, and clearing the boundary twice.

 

The final push came from Gudakesh Motie, whose unbeaten 33 from 31 balls saw the hosts over the line, as he hit three fours and three sixes.

 

The West Indies had opted to bowl first, with another debutant, young Barbadian Jediah Blades, given some big shoes to fill, in the absence of Tuesday’s man of the match, Jayden Seales. Alzarri Joseph was recalled, however, with Marquino Mindley left out.

 

Among the batters, with the series already won, Jangoo and Alick Athanaze were included, as Evin Lewis and Justin Greaves made way.

 

Joseph had Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das out in the third over, both for duck, with the score on nine. But Soumya Sarkar and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz added 136 for the third wicket, albeit from 127 balls.

 

Motie separated the duo, trapping Sarkar leg before wicket for 73. Six overs later, the Bangladeshi captain was run out for 77, followed by Assif Hossain dismissed for 15 off the bowling of Sherfane Rutherford.

 

With the score on 171 and 30.3 overs gone, Mahmudullah and Jaker Ali got to work off the next 117 balls, hitting 150 runs in combination, 12 fours and six sixes. Mahmudullah was not out 84 from 63 balls, and Jaker Ali not out 62 from 57.

Bangladesh made 321-5.

 

Blades, the rookie, was the most expensive bowler. Picked after excellent returns from the regional 50-over competition, he yielded 73 runs from his six overs. Romario Shepherd also gave up 65 from his 10 overs, and was wicketless.

 

Motie was wasteful, too, conceding 65 in his 10 overs, but he took the one wicket. Rutherford was given six overs, and gave up 37 runs, whilst Joseph’s two wickets came from 10 overs, in which he allowed by 43 runs.

 

Rutherford, player of the series, was understandably pleased. “I think it was a good one for me,” he said. “I have been putting in a lot of work. Could have done better today. It is a game of cricket, some days it goes, some days it does not.

 

“I have been doing a bit of bowling in the nets. My skipper was happy with how I was bowling in the nets and in the future, hopefully I can get a bit more.”

 

Shai Hope, the West Indies captain, called the win a “big step in the right direction.” As he prepares to jet off to Australia for the Big Bash League, he spoke candidly about having to balance winning and bringing young players along, but concluded: “In the past, we have not been winning series clinically and that is a great standpoint for us. Just playing good cricket, we spoke about 3-0 before and great to finish.”

(TF)