Ton-up Tamim leads BD to series triumph against Windies

BASSETERRE, Saint Kitts and Nevis: Bangladesh held off a late charge from the West Indies to claim a series-clinching 18-run win in the decisive third and final match of their One-day International duel at Warner Park in St Kitts on Saturday.

After Tamim Iqbal’s second hundred of the series and a quickfire unbeaten half-century by Mahmudullah paced the visitors to a formidable 301 for six, the hosts were restricted to 283 for six in reply despite a rampaging unbeaten 74 off just 41 balls by Rovman Powell.

Bangladesh set the pace in this decider with their top-order batting justifying the decision by captain Mashrafe Mortaza to bat first after he won the toss for the third consecutive time.

Tamim’s confident 103 off 124 balls provided his team with a solid foundation, his innings lifting his tally in the three matches to 287 runs at an outstanding average of 143.5. He was the obvious choice as both man of the match and man of the series.

Tamim found a reliable partner in Shakib al Hasan, the pair putting on 81 runs for the second wicket. Shakib eventually departed off the bowling off Ashley Nurse, who together with fellow spinner Devendra Bishoo put a brake on Bangladesh’s progress through the middle of the innings.

However they were able to cut loose over the final 20 overs as 150 runs were plundered in that period, thanks in the main to the unbridled aggression of Mahmudullah.He had come to the crease when Nurse took his second wicket in bowling Mushfiqur Rahim and immediately went into attack mode, his adventurous knock of 67 not out occupying 49 deliveries and embellished with five fours and three sixes.

Tamim eventually reached his 11th ODI hundred in the 38th over but miscued sweep off Bishoo offered a catch to Powell at backward square-leg.

Bangladesh won toss

Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal c Powell b Bishoo 103

Anamul Haque c Powell b Holder 10

Shakib Al Hasan c Paul b Nurse 37

†Mushfiqur Rahim b Nurse 12

Mahmudullah not out 67

*Mashrafe Mortaza c Gayle b Holder 36

Sabbir Rahman c Lewis b Cottrell 12

Mosaddek Hossain not out 11

Extras (lb1, w11, nb1) 13

Total (6 wickets, 50 overs) 301

Did not bat: Mehidy Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman

Fall: 1-35, 2-116, 3-152, 4-200, 5-253, 6-279

Bowling: Cottrell 9-0-59-1, Holder 10-0-55-2, Bishoo 10-1-42-1, Paul 9-0-77-0, Nurse 10-1-53-2, Gayle 2-0-14-0

West Indies

C Gayle c Mehidy b Rubel 73

E Lewis c Mushfiqur b Mashrafe 13

†S Hope c Shakib b Mashrafe 64

S Hetmyer b Mehidy 30

K Powell run out 4

R Powell not out 74

*J Holder c Rubel b Mustafizur 9

A Nurse not out 5

Extras (lb3, w8) 11

Total (6 wickets, 50 overs) 283

Did not bat: K Paul, D Bishoo, S Cottrell

Fall: 1-53, 2-105, 3-172, 4-179, 5-224, 6-262

Bowling: Mashrafe 10-0-63-2, Mehidy 10-0-45-1, Mustafizur 10-0-63-1, Mosaddek 1-0-10-0, Mahmudullah 2-0-20-0, Rubel 7-0-34-1, Shakib 10-0-45-0

Result: Bangladesh won by 18 runs

Man of the Match: Tamim Iqbal (BD)

Series: Bangladesh won the 3-match series 2-1

Man of the series: Tamim Iqbal (BD)

Umpires: Joel Wilson (West Indies), Sundaram Ravi (India). TV Umpire: Richard Illingworth (England). Match Referee: Chris Broad (England)