Bangladesh hold nerve to defend 148 and take 1-0 T20I series lead over West Indies

Bangladesh took a 1-0 T20 International series lead over the West Indies after a seven-run win in the first game at Arnos Vale in St. Vincent & the Grenadines on Sunday.

The Bangladeshis first posted 147-6 from their 20 overs after being out in to bat by West Indian skipper Rovman Powell.

That decision looked like the right one as the wickets of Tanzid Hasan (6), Litton Das (0) and Afif Hossain (8) left Bangladesh 30-3 with two balls remaining in the first powerplay.

Soumya Sarkar and Jaker Ali put on 57 for the fourth wicket before Ali went off the bowling of Romario Shepherd for 27 in the 13^th over.

Sarkar eventually made a top score of 43 before he fell bowled by an excellent slower ball from hometown boy Obed McCoy for his 50^th wicket in T20Is.

The left-arm quick also took the wicket of Shamim Hossain for 27 off 13 balls. Akeal Hosein was the pick of the West Indian bowlers with 2-13 from his four overs while McCoy’s final figures were 2-30 from four overs.

The West Indian reply then started terribly with the wickets of Brandon King (1) and Nicholas Pooran (1), Johnson Charles (20), Andre Fletcher (0) and Roston Chase (7) all already back in the shed with the score on just 38 in the seventh over.

10 balls into the second half of the innings, the hosts also lost Gudakesh Motie (6) and Akeal Hosein (2) to find themselves reeling even further at 61-7 before captain Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd set about a repair job.

The pair added 67 for the eighth wicket, making the possibility of a West Indies win look stronger with every delivery they spent at the crease together.

Their partnership came to an end needing a further 20 runs off 17 balls when Shepherd held out in the deep off the bowling of Taskin Ahmed for 22, bringing Alzarri Joseph to the crease.

With Powell and Joseph at the crease, the equation was eventually 10 runs needed off the last over to be bowled by Hasan Mahmud.

Joseph got a single off the first ball before Mahmud bowled an excellent wide yorker with the second to produce a crucial dot.

The third ball saw the West Indian hopes end as Powell was caught behind for a top score of 60 off 35 balls including five fours and four sixes.

Two balls later, Mahmud bowled Joseph for nine to wrap up the victory and a 1-0 series lead.

Mahedi Hasan was the main destroyer with the ball with 4-13 from his four overs while both Mahmud and Taskin picked up a pair of wickets, each.

The second game takes place on Tuesday at the same venue.

Full Scores:

Bangladesh 147-6 from 20 overs (Soumya Sarkar 43, Jaker Ali 27, Shamim Hossain 27, Mahedi Hasan 26*, Akeal Hosein 2-13, Obed McCoy 2-30)

West Indies 140 from 19.5 overs (Rovman Powell 60, Mahedi Hasan 4-13, Hasan Mahmud 2-18, Taskin Ahmed 2-28). Sportsmax