Seales, King end Bangladesh’s ODI dominance over Windies

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC):

JAYDEN SEALES’ clinical spell of fast bowling followed by a dominant batting performance, led by Brandon King, guided the West Indies to a lopsided seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh at Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts, yesterday – their first ODI series win over them in 10 years.

With Alzarri Joseph being rested, Player-of-the-Match Seales ran through Bangladesh’s top order, snaring the first three wickets to help bowl out the visitors for 227 in 45.5 overs, after the West Indies won the toss and opted to field.

King then hit the topscore of 82 from 76 balls, as all the Windies’ batters made solid contributions, to help the home side romp to 230 for three in 36.5 overs.

The result meant the West Indies took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, ending Bangladesh’s run of 11 straight ODI wins against them, dating back to 2014.

The win was set up by a stingy spell from Seales, who bowled a consistent line and length that caused Bangladesh’s batsmen numerous problems.

Bangladesh got off to a flying start though, with Tanzid Hasan giving debutant Marquino Mindley a tough initiation, blasting him for two sixes and a four in his second over that yielded 18 runs as Bangladesh raced to 26 without loss after three overs.

Seales struck with the first ball of the fourth over when he got Soumya Sarkar to chip straight into the hands of Gudakesh Motie at mid on after scoring two.

Litton Das laboured through 19 balls for four runs before his intended pull off Seales took a leading edge and Evin Lewis took a good catch diving forward at backward point to leave the score 41 for two.

Seales then got the important wicket of captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, bowled for one off the inside edge as he attempted to shoulder arm outside the off stump, to see Bangladesh slide to 54 for three.

Tanzid Hasan blasted pacer Justin Greaves for two consecutive boundaries in his first over, but slapped the next delivery straight into the hands of Roston Chase at backward point to be out for 46 and the score 64 for four in the 11th over.

Afif Hossain and Mahmudullah added 36 runs for the fifth wicket to take the total to 100, but spinner Gudakesh Motie accounted for both Hossain for 24 and Jaker Ali for 3, and Mindley got his first international wicket by dismissing Rishad Hossain for a duck and Bangladesh slipped into even more trouble at 115 for seven.

It took a record eighth-wicket partnership of 92 between Mahmudullah, who made 62 from 92 balls with four sixes and two fours and Tanzim Hasan Sakib to help their side up to a respectable total.

They took the score to 207 before Roston Chase had Sakib caught and bowled for 45 and Seales returned to snag the wicket of Mahmudullah.

The innings came to an end soon after with Seales boasting figures of 4-22 from nine overs, while Motie grabbed 2-36 from 10.

West Indies then made light work of the chase, with openers King and Lewis setting the foundation in a 109-run partnership.

King was the more dominant of the two, and he eased to his half-century off 52 balls, smashing Rishan Hossain to the fine leg boundary to carry the score to 88 without loss.

Lewis looked set to join him until he gave the same bowler the simplest of return catches to lose his wicket for 49 after facing 62 balls.

Keacy Carty joined King at the crease and the two added 66 runs in eight overs to further tighten the screws on the contest.

King, though, would be bowled by pacer Nahid Rana to fall short of a century, while Carty scored 45 before he was dismissed by Afif Hossain.

Captain Shai Hope and the in-form Sherfane Rutherford then carried their side to victory in an unbroken partnership of 33 to seal the deal.