The West Indies’ bowlers starred in an otherwise unimpressive performance to carry their team to a 14-run victory over hosts Bangladesh in the second T20I here on Wednesday and seal a rare series win.
Skipper Shai Hope and Alick Athanaze scored half centuries that put the regional side in a superb position to post a formidable total at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, but from 106 for one in the 12th over, the West Indies suffered yet another collapse to finish on just 149 for nine in their 20 overs.
Their fielders then dropped four catches, but spectacular work from their bowling trio of Romario Shepherd, who was named Player-of-the-Match, Akeal Hosein and Jason Holder, bailed them out of trouble, as they restricted Bangladesh to 135 for eight.
It gave the visitors an unassailable 2-0 advantage in the best-of-three series and assured them of only their second T20I bilateral series win in their last nine encounters.
The victory was set up by their bowlers, whose efforts were all the more impressive considering the several opportunities that went abegging in the field.
Needing to score at a reasonable seven and a half runs an over on a good batting pitch, Bangladesh’s opening pair of Saif Hassan and Tanzid Hasan were pegged back from the start.
Hassan should have been dismissed in the second over with just three runs to his name, but Brandon King spilled the catch running back from cover point after the batsman miscued his pull off Holder.
It didn’t prove costly though, as Holder had him caught by King at extra cover in his next over, to leave Bangladesh 13 for one.
Captain Litton Das hit Jayden Seales for three boundaries in the following over, but was then given a reprieve on 20 when he was dropped by Sherfane Rutherford at midwicket off Shepherd’s bowling.
Fortunately for the Windies, Das only added three more runs before he was comprehensively bowled by Hosein to make the score 48 for two in the eighth over.
A diving Jayden Seales then dropped Towhid Hridoy at deep backward square leg after he scored just five, but he made amends two overs later by holding onto a stunning catch inches of the turf running in from deep midwicket, as Bangladesh slid to 85 for three in the 13th over.
Six runs short of his half century, Tanzid Hasan was put down by Alick Athanaze, who spilled an easy catch on the midwicket boundary.
Hasan eventually brought up his ninth T20I half century by slapping Shepherd through cover for four, but once Shepherd had him caught by King with Bangladesh still requiring 33 from 18 balls, the West Indies eased to victory.
Hasan made 61 off 48 balls, striking three sixes and three fours.
Shepherd then dismissed Jaker Ali for a pedestrian 17 off 18 balls, before Holder bowled Shamim Hossain for one and Hosein had Rishad Hossain caught at long off for a duck, to see the hosts crumble to 133 for seven, with just three balls remaining in the contest.
Hosein took 3-22, Shepherd claimed 3-29 and Holder 2-20.
Earlier, after choosing to bat, the West Indies recovered from the early loss of Brandon King for 1, courtesy of a 105-run partnership between Hope and Athanaze.
But once Athanaze, who made 52 off 33 balls, inclusive of five fours and three sixes, was dismissed by spinner Nasum Ahmed moments after reaching his second T20I half century, the West Indies lost their way.
Ahmed then picked up the wicket of the struggling Rutherford with his next delivery, and when Hope, who brought up his ninth T20 half century off 30 balls, spooned pacer Mustafizur Rahman to point to be out for 55 off 36 balls, the Windies fell to 112 for four in the 13th over.
Last match hero Rovman Powell scored just three and Jason Holder only made four, and it took the efforts of Roston Chase (17 not out) and Romario Shepherd, who made 13, to get them up to their eventual total.
Rahman was Bangladesh’s best bowler with 3-21, Rishad Hossain snared 2-20 and Nasum Ahmed 2-35.
The third and final T20I will be played on Friday.