Spineless!

DHAKA, Bangladesh, Jan 22, CMC – An inexperienced West Indies once again failed to show any mettle and crashed to a seven-wicket defeat in the second One-Day International today, to concede the three-match series with hardly a whimper.

For the second straight game, the Caribbean side’s batting was well below par, mustering only 148 off 43.4 overs and there were no nightmares for Bangladesh as they easily overhauled the target in the 34th over.

Captain Tamim Iqbal top-scored with 50 off 76 deliveries while the invaluable Skakib-al-Hasan controlled the latter stages of the run chase with an unbeaten 43 off 50 deliveries.

The defeat was West Indies’ seventh straight one to Bangladesh in ODIs and their second consecutive series loss in the south Asian nation.

And that outcome was hardly surprising once they opted to bat at the Shere Bangla National Stadium and slumped to 41 for five in the 17th over, a position from which they never recovered despite Rovman Powell’s top score of 41.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan wreaked havoc on the innings with four for 25 while seamer Mustafizur Rahman (2-15) and left-arm spinner Shakib-al-Hasan (2-30) supported with two wickets apiece.

There was misery for West Indies from the fifth over when Sunil Ambris (6) was squared up by Mustafizur and taken at short point by Mehidy Hasan. Ambris has looked clueless in both matches.

Debutant Kjorn Ottley, the seventh in two matches for West Indies, looked the part and struck two fours and a six in 24 but then gifted his wicket by punching Mehidy Hasan to cover in the 14th over, after he had added 26 for the second wicket with Joshua Da Silva (5).

Three balls later in the same over with one run added, Da Silva played down the wrong line and had his off stump pegged back and in the next over, Andre McCarthy suffered a brain freeze, missed an ill-advised heave across the line at the seventh ball he faced and was bowled by Shakib for three.

There was hope when the in-form Kyle Mayers arrived at the crease but his disastrous run out in the 18th over before he had scored, attempting a non-existent single, plunged the Windies further into strife.

A 26-run, sixth wicket stand between captain Jason Mohammed (11) and Nkrumah Bonner (20) temporarily halted the slide, as the pair tried desperately to rebuild.

However, Mohammed was deceived and hit in front by Shakib in the 24th over and Bonner played on to seamer Hasan Mahmud five balls later in the next over.

Once Raymon Reifer was lbw to Mehidy Hasan in the 30th for two, the Windies were on the ropes again at 88 for eight and in danger of falling for below three figures.

Powell, batting at number eight, had other ideas though, stroking two fours and a six in a 66-ball knock to see West Indies past the 100-run mark.

He anchored the largest stand of the innings when he added 32 for the ninth wicket with Alzarri Joseph (17) and also put on a further 28 for the last wicket with Akeal Hosein (12 not out).

Powell was eventually last out, missing a charge at Mehidy and going stumped.

In reply, Bangladesh paced their innings well, Tamim staging a 30-run first wicket stand partnership with Liton Das (22) and a 47-run second wicket partnership with Najmul Hossain (17).

Left-hander Tamim struck three fours and a six in his 48th ODI fifty before he was removed in the 26th over by left-arm seamer Reifer, edging a cut behind to leave Bangladesh on 109 for three.

Shakib then took responsibility for the innings, carving out four fours off 50 balls in an unbroken 40-run, fourth wicket stand with Mushfiqur Rahim (nine not out) to deny West Indies any further success.

The final ODI is set for Monday in Chattogram. (CMC)

SCOREBOARD:

WEST INDIES

S Ambris c Mehidy Hasan Miraz b Mustafizur Rahman 6

K Ottley c Tamim Iqbal b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 24

+J Da Silva b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 5

A McCarthy b Shakib-al-Hasan 3

+J Mohammed lbw b Shakib-al-Hasan 11

K Mayers run out 0

N Bonner b Hasan Mahmud 20

R Powell st Mushfiqur Rahim b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 41

R Reifer lbw b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2

A Joseph c Liton Das b Mustafizur Rahman 17

A Hosein not out 12

Extras (lb1, w4, nb2) 7

TOTAL (all out, 43.4 overs) 148

Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Ambris), 2-36 (Ottley), 3-37 (Da Silva), 4-39 (McCarthy), 5-41 (Mayers), 6-67 (Mohammed), 7-71 (Bonner), 8-88 (Reifer), 9-120 (Joseph), 10-148 (Powell)

Bowling: Mustafizur Rahman 8-3-15-2, Rubel Hossain 7-0-23-0, Hasan Mahmud 9-0-54-1, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 9.4-0-25-4, Shakib-al-Hasan 10-0-30-2.

BANGLADESH

Liton Das lbw b Hosein 22

Tamim Iqbal c wkp Da Silvla b Reifer 50

Najmul Hossain c Ottley b Mohammed 17

Shakib-al-Hasan not out 43

Mushfiqur Rahim not out 9

Extras (w7, nb1) 8

TOTAL (3 wkts, 33.2 overs) 149

Did not bat: Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman.

Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Liton Das), 2-77 (Najmul Hossain), 3-109 (Tamim Iqbal).

Bowling: Joseph 10-0-42-0 (nb1), Mayers 2-0-15-0, Hosein 9.2-0-45-1, Mohammed 7-0-29-1, Reifer 5-0-18-1.

Result: Bangladesh won by seven wickets.

Series: Bangladesh lead three-match series 2-0.

Man-of-the-Match: Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: Gazi Sohel, Sharfuddoula; TV – Masudur Rahman.