West Indies coasted to a seven-wicket win against Bangladesh in St. Kitts to claim the three-match ODI series. It was West Indies’ first ODI series win against Bangladesh in 10 years.
They had won the last four ODI series between the two sides too.
West Indies had on Sunday broken Bangladesh’s 11-match winning streak against them in the first ODI.
Jayden Seales’ career-best figures of 4-22 led the home side’s bowling efforts as they bowled out the visitors for 227 in 45.5 overs.
Brandon King then struck a rapid 82 to accelerate West Indies’ chase, as they completed the win in 36.5 overs.
Captain Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford, who struck 113 in the first game, were the unbeaten batters who completed the game.
Bangladesh meanwhile have won just one out of their last six ODI series, while West Indies have turned around their fortunes in the format.
They have now won consecutive ODI series wins after beating England last month.
They had lost ODI series against Australia and Sri Lanka earlier in the year.
Seales gave West Indies the foundation for this win. He dealt three early blows before Gudakesh Motie’s solid 2-36 kept Bangladesh on a leash for much of the middle overs.
Bangladesh could only make a 200-plus total mainly due to a 92-run stand between Mahmudullah and Tanzim Hasan.
It is a new record for the eighth wicket for Bangladesh. Mahmudullah’s 62 was also his third consecutive fifty in ODIs.
It is only the second time in his career that Mahmudullah scored three fifties in a row in ODIs.
When the home side replied to Bangladesh’s 227, King got off to a strong start with five boundaries in the first seven overs, hitting the ball well square on both sides of the pitch.
He moved to 26, while Lewis languished on six off 23 balls. Finally in the ninth over, Lewis struck Tanzim for three boundaries, including a flat six over long-leg.
Lewis struck Mehidy for a huge hit down the ground in the 14th over before getting dropped next ball, when Soumya who couldn’t hold on to a difficult chance.
Lewis was on 29 at the time. After King reached his half-century off 52 balls in the 16th over, Lewis slammed Mehidy for his third six shortly afterwards.
His fourth was a bit of a revenge against Rana who had struck him in the unmentionables during the 20th over.
The pair completed their second century opening partnership this year. King has been involved in West Indies’ last five century opening stands.
This one ended when Lewis, still reeling from that Rana blow, gave Rishad a caught-and-bowled after making 49 off 62 balls.
The wicket didn’t seem to lift Bangladesh who promptly conceded five runs in overthrows.
Litton conceded four byes also. Keacy Carty took advantage of their errors, hitting five boundaries while King slammed three sixes in a short spell.
He launched Rishad twice, apart from lifting Tanzim down the ground, and on to the roof of the pavilion building.
King fell to a Rana yorker in the 29th over. The long shadow of one of the light towers on the pitch could be a reason for King missing that ball, but he walked off quietly after adding 66 runs for the second wicket with Carty.
King struck eight fours and three sixes in his 76-ball stay. Carty fell soon after King, slicing a catch to Rana off Afif Hossain, after making 45 off 47 balls.
Rutherford and Hope blazed Rishad for a four and a six respectively, in his eighth over.
Rutherford played out the final rites of the series when he disdainfully swung Shoriful Islam over square-leg for two sixes in the 37th over, to complete the win. (ESPNcricinfo)
