Mustafizur, Mushfiqur put BD in tri-series final

DUBLIN: Bangladesh ensured their place in the tri-series final after a resounding five-wicket win over West Indies here on Monday.

After their bowlers fought hard to restrict them to 247 for 9, Soumya Sarkar and Mushfiqur Rahim struck fluent half-centuries and dominated the chase as they sealed victory with 16 balls to spare.

Mustafizur Rahman’s first four-wicket haul in eight months, as well as discipline from Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan, and Mashrafe Mortaza’s three wickets, took the momentum from West Indies twice, after they chose to bat first.

Then it was Soumya’s turn in the spotlight, his 54 off 67 balls getting Bangladesh off the block quickly. After they had lost three quick wickets in the middle-overs to Ashley Nurse, Mushfiqur put together two partnerships, 83 runs for the fourth wicket with Mohammad Mithun, and 50 runs for the fifth-wicket stand with Mahmudullah, to boss the chase.

West Indies also contributed heavily to their own defeat, missing five chances during the Bangladesh innings. Kemar Roach dropped two catches while Fabian Allen and Shai Hope couldn’t reach the ball despite a dive. Nurse’s poor throw cost them Mithun’s wicket early during the defining fourth-wicket stand.

After Tamim Iqbal struck the fourth ball of Bangladesh’s chase for a thumping four, Soumya piled the pressure on Sheldon Cottrell and Roach, hitting them for a six and four boundaries in the first five overs. Tamim then cover drove Cottrell, before getting two more fours off Nurse in the ninth over. But later in the same over, Nurse bowled Tamim with one that dipped on the left-hander, and struck his leg-stump.

After their 54-run opening stand, Soumya added 52 runs for the second wicket with Shakib. During this partnership, Soumya survived two chances: at short cover when Allen couldn’t quite hold on to the chance diving forward, as well as Roach dropping a straightforward chance at short midwicket.

Nurse, who suffered the Roach drop, struck twice in his next over. He first had Shakib caught at short cover, before Sunil Ambris caught Soumya at short midwicket.

Things could have gone worse for Bangladesh had Nurse sent a better throw to wicketkeeper Hope when Mithun, batting on 7, slipped mid-pitch after being sent back by Mushfiqur in the 24th over. Mithun also survived Roach dropping him at deep square leg when he was 22, and eventually the Mushfiqur-Mithun pairing made West Indies pay heavily. There was to be one more fielding lapse: Mahmudullah, dropped by Hope off Holder when he was on 10, before the game was done.

West Indies won toss

West Indies

†S D Hope c Mushfiqur b Mashrafe 87

S W Ambris c Soumya b Mashrafe 23

D M Bravo lbw b Mehidy 6

R L Chase c Mahmudullah b Mustafizur 19

J L Carter lbw b Mustafizur 3

*J O Holder c Mushfiqur b Mashrafe 62

F A Allen lbw b Shakib 7

A R Nurse c Sabbir b Mustafizur 14

R A Reifer lbw b Mustafizur 7

K A J Roach not out 3

S S Cottrell not out 8

Extras (b 1, lb 4, w 3) 8

Total (9 wickets; 50 overs) 247

Fall: 1-37, 2-56, 3-89, 4-99, 5-199, 6-207, 7-211, 8-234, 9-236

Bowling: Jayed 9-0-56-0 (w 2); Mashrafe 10-0-60-3 (w 1); Mehidy 10-0-41-1; Mustafizur 9-1-43-4; Shakib 10-1-27-1; Soumya 2-0-15-0

Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal b Nurse 21

Soumya Sarkar c Ambris b Nurse 54

Shakib Al Hasan c Chase b Nurse 29

†Mushfiqur Rahim c Bravo b Roach 63

Mohammad Mithun b Holder 43

Mahmudullah not out 30

Sabbir Rahman not out 0

Extras (lb 2, nb 1, w 5) 8

Total (5 wickets; 47.2 overs) 248

Did not bat: Abu Jayed, *Mashrafe Mortaza, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman

Fall: 1-54, 2-106, 3-107, 4-190, 5-240

Bowling: Roach 6-0-46-1 (w 2, nb 1); Cottrell 9.2-0-38-0 (w 1); Nurse 10-0-53-3; Chase 6-0-24-0; Allen 3-0-11-0; Holder 8-1-43-1; Reifer 5-0-31-0 (w 2)

Result: Bangladesh won by 5 wickets

Man of the Match: Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)

Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (England) and Alan Neill (Ireland). TV umpire: Mark Hawthorne (Ireland). Match referee: Chris Broad (England)