ROSEAU, Dominica – West Indies once again dominated Bangladesh to earn a comfortable 35-run victory in the second Twenty20 International at Windsor Park on Sunday as Jamaicans Rovman Powell and Brandon King struck starkly contrasting half-centuries.
With the rain which wrecked Saturday’s opener at the venue staying away, West Indies galloped to 193 for five from their 20 overs after choosing to bat; first, Powell clobbered a brutal unbeaten 61 from 28 balls, and King carved out a classy 57 from 43 deliveries.
In reply, Bangladesh never got out of the blocks and finished on 158 for six from their 20 overs, with veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan top-scoring with 69 not out from 52 balls to pass 2,000 runs in his 98th T20 International.
Leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr produced a stingy spell, conceding 23 runs from his four overs, but it was the fast bowling pair of Romario Shepherd (2-28) and Obed McCoy (2-37) who did the damage with two wickets apiece.
“For us as a batting group, we want to take the game from the bowlers and try to put the bowlers under pressure early in the over,” said winning captain Nicholas Pooran.
“Today was the start of this whole template, and I thought we did it well, but there’s a lot of work to put in it.
“We just need to trust this process a bit more, and everyone just needs to keep digging deep for the team.”
Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah said the imposing target meant there had been a little room for error in the run chase.
“When you’re chasing 190-odd, you need to go from the first ball. You need to take advantage of the first power-play, then you can take the momentum from there on,” he lamented.
“That effort from Shakib [was a good one], and Afif (Hossain) played a good knock, but [no] other batter played the part.”
Kyle Mayers provided the early momentum, lashing two fours and a six in a nine-ball 17 before missing a heave at off-spinner Mahedi Hasan in the second over and having his middle stump pegged back.
And when Shamarh Brooks holed out to the skipper at mid-wicket off Shakib’s left-arm spin in the fourth over without scoring, West Indies were 26 for two and in need of a partnership.
King provided the solution, anchoring two successive half-century stands – putting on 74 for the third wicket with Pooran (34) and 63 for the fourth wicket with countryman Powell.
The right-handed King punched seven fours – an array of mostly high-class, off-side drives – and a six, while Pooran lashed three fours and a six in a 30-ball knock before botching a slog-sweep and falling lbw to off-spinner Mosaddek Hossain.
Man-of-the-Match Powell entered and transformed the innings, smashing two fours and half-dozen sixes as he raced to his fourth T20I fifty off just 20 balls in the 18th over, West Indies plundering 74 runs from the last five overs.
Needing to score at nearly ten runs per over, Bangladesh was set back almost immediately when McCoy removed openers Litton Das (5) and Anamul Haque (3) with successive deliveries at the start of the second over at eight for two.
And when Mahmudullah (11) was pouched at mid-off by McCoy off pacer Odean Smith in the third over, the Tigers were slumping at 23 for three.
Left-hander Shakib arrived to rescue his side’s pride, belting five fours and three sixes to inspire a 55-run, fourth-wicket stand with Afif and a further 53 for the sixth wicket with Mosaddek (15).
However, Bangladesh paid dearly for their slow start – they were only 77 for three at the halfway stage – and the 78 runs required from the last three overs were simply out of their reach.
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