Pooran, Mayers lead West Indies to series win over Bangladesh
SUMMARY: Bangladesh 163-5 from 20 overs (Afif Hossain 50, Litton Das 49; Hayden Walsh Jr. 2-25) vs West Indies 169-5 from 18.2 overs (Nicholas Pooran 74*, Kyle Mayers 55; Nasum Ahmed 2-44)
Career-best knocks by skipper Nicholas Pooran and opener Kyle Mayers powered West Indies to a five-wicket win over Bangladesh in the third and final T20 on Thursday at the National Stadium, Providence.
The victory secured West Indies a 2-0 success in the three-match series, after the first game in Dominica was a no-result and the Caribbean side won game two by 35 runs.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Bangladesh posted 163-5 and West Indies knocked off the target with 10 balls remaining.
Pooran finished the contest in style, hitting his opposite number Mahmudullah Reyad straight back for his fifth six, posing for the cameras and soaking in the applause from the appreciative crowd.
West Indies were in early trouble at 43-3 by seventh over, with Brandon King (7), Shamarh Brooks (12), and Odean Smith (2), promoted to number four, all falling cheaply.
However, any thoughts of further inroads by the Bangladeshis were thwarted by Pooran and Mayers, who proceeded to dominate the contest with a power-packed fourth wicket partnership of 85.
Mayers crunched five sixes and two fours in 55 off 38, his first T20 International half-century.
Rovman Powell fell for five after the dismissal of Mayers, but Pooran continued to play with a free-flowing tempo, ending on 74 not out off 39 balls (5x4s, 5x6s).
Nasum Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh with 2-44.
Earlier, Bangladesh’s total was built on 50 off 38 balls (2x4s, 2x6s) from Afif Hossain and 49 off 41 (3x4s, 2x6s). Leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr. again impressed with 2-25, while Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith took a wicket each.
West Indies and Bangladesh now switch focus to the One-Day International leg of the series.
All three games will be played at the National Stadium, Providence, on July 10, 13 and 16, starting at 09:30h on each day.
