– Tamim ton sets up big win for Bangladesh

– Tourists take 1-0 series lead

OPENER Tamim Iqbal struck a brilliant century to set up a crushing 48-run win for Bangladesh in the first ODI against West Indies yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium.

The left-hander chalked up his tenth ODI hundred and shared the second-highest partnership in Bangladesh ODI history — 207 – with Shakib Al Hasan to give Bangladesh a competitive total of 279-4; a total they defended easily after the West Indies batting performance lacked fight, resistance, purpose and spine.

West Indies were never up to the task and virtually surrendered. They were eventually restricted to 231-9 with Guyanese Shimron Hetmyer top-scoring with 52 for the unpredictable home side.

It was a complete bowling effort from the tourists with Mashrafe Mortaza picking up 4-37, to be the most successful bowler.

Earlier, Shakib perished three short of a hundred from 121 balls, but the 29-year-old Tamim finished unbeaten on 130 off 160 balls. However, it was a boundary-laden 11-ball burst from Mushfiqur Rahim (30), which eventually gave the innings some impetus, as Bangladesh plundered 43 runs in the last two overs.

After winning the toss, Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza chose to bat but they lost opener Anamul Haque, who was picked ahead of Liton Das as Tamim’s opening partner, in the second over to medium pacer Jason Holder, as the pitch offered early assistance to the Windies pacers.

However, rain then delayed the game by 28 minutes but, once play resumed, the tourists

recovered through the second-wicket stand from their two most experienced batsmen.

The pair consolidated nicely through the right blend of caution and aggression to bring the innings back on track on what looked like a flat batting pitch.

Tamim launched the innings with three boundaries in four deliveries off Andre Russell in the ninth over, while Shakib help himself with two stylish boundaries off Alzarri Joseph.

The pair then survived three dropped chances between them in the space of 3.4 overs: Tamim was put down by Ashley Nurse at cover on 17, and then again on 20 by Chris Gayle at first slip. Three balls later, Shakib was put down on 15, also by Gayle.

Benefitting from these lapses, the two batsmen steadily consolidated Bangladesh’s position. When Tamim hammered Nurse over long-on, it was the first six in the innings, after which both batsmen reached their fifties. Tamim and Shakib reached their respective half-centuries off 87 and 68 deliveries respectively.

Half way through the innings, Bangladesh were 98-1 but thereafter, West Indies bowling was lackluster and dull to say the least.

Holder failed to illustrate a more aggressive tactic and with a combination of poor fielding, the Bangladeshi  batsmen were allowed to blossom while Shakib survived two other chances; one off Gayle and the other off Hetmyer at short fine-leg, when he was on 84.

The home side went in with both their spinners, Devendra Bishoo and Ashley Nurse, given the dryness of the pitch, leaving out Kieran Powell and Keemo Paul, but it was not until the 45th over that Bishoo broke the partnership when he had Shakib top-edging a sweep to deep midwicket.

Tamim then reached the three-digit number in 146 balls, the slowest century by a Bangladesh batsman in ODIs. Sabbir Rahman went soon after, stumped off Bishoo. Having arrived in the 47th over, Mushfiqur pinged three fours and two sweet sixes.

Picking on Mushfiqur’s cue, Tamim, too, shifted gears, biffing three fours and two sixes after reaching his century. The pair’s 54-run stand came off just 20 balls.

In reply, the Caribbean side found themselves in early trouble when they lost their top three batsmen, including Chris Gayle to slump to 81-3 inside the 22nd over.

Evin Lewis (17) was caught at mid-on off Mashrafe Mortaza, while Shai Hope was lbw to Rubel Hossain.

Gayle, the veteran, made a measured 60-ball 40, which included a four and two sixes before he was run out.

The Jamaican’s dismissal brought Hetmyer and Jason Mohammed together, but Mohammed went cheaply, stumped off spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz for ten.

Holder joined Hetmyer who looked increasingly confident, reaching his fifty off 70 balls with a flurry of boundaries.

The middle overs were choked away by the spinners and timely blows by their skipper Mashrafe meant Windies were blown of the chase even before they hit the 40-over mark.

The Windies were pegged back, losing the wickets of Hetmyer and Rovman Powell in consecutive balls off Mustafizur Rahman. The left-handed Hetmyer chipped to cover, while the right-handed Powell nicked behind without scoring.

Thereafter, the Windies imploded despite the last pair of Bishoo and Alzarri Joseph throwing their bats around and got personal highest scores to keep the players on the field for the entire set of 50 overs.

The second ODI is scheduled for Wednesday– a day/night affair– starting from 14:30hrs.

SCOREBOARD
Bangladesh innings
Tamim Iqbal not out 130
Anamul Haque c Nurse b Holder 0
Shakib Al Hasan c Hetmyer b Bishoo 97
Sabbir Rahman st. Hope b Bishoo 3
Mushfiqur Rahim c Bishoo b Russell 30
Mahmudullah not out 4
Extras: (lb 7, w 8) 15
Total: four wickets; 50 overs) 279
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-208, 3-221, 4-275
Bowling: A Russell 9-0-62-1, J Holder 9-0-47-1, A Joseph 10-0-57-0, A Nurse 10-0-39-0, D Bishoo 10-0-52-2, J Mohammed 2-0-15-0

West Indies innings
C Gayle run out (Mahmudullah/Mosaddek Hossain) 40
E Lewis c Mahmudullah b 9 Mashrafe Mortaza 17
S Hope lbw b Rubel Hossain
S Hetmyer c Shakib Al Hasan b Mustafizur Rahman 52
J Mohammed c Mushfiqur Rahim b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 10
J Holder c Mosaddek Hossain b Mashrafe Mortaza 17
R Powell c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Mustafizur Rahman 0
A Russell c Mahmudullah b Mashrafe Mortaza 13
A Nurse c Mahmudullah b Mashrafe Mortaza 7
D Bishoo not out 29
A Joseph not out 29
Extras: (b4, lb 1, w 6) 11
Total: (nine wickets; 50 overs) 231
Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-41, 3-81, 4-111, 5-141, 6-141, 7-151, 8-163, 9-172
Bowling: Mashrafe Mortaza 10-1-37-4, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 10-0-37-1, Rubel Hossain 8-0-52-1
Mosaddek Hossain 7-0-22-0, Mustafizur Rahman 8-0-35-2, Shakib Al Hasan 7-0-43-0