The Calypso Kings finished the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh with a 2-0 winning scoreline on July 7 after an allround display in Guyana. The hosts restricted the visitors to a manageable score of 163/5 on a relatively flat deck and chased that down with 10 balls left and five wickets intact.
Chief architects of their comfortable victory were the batting duo of skipper Nicholas Pooran and opening batter Kyle Mayers. Pooran smashed the hapless Bangladesh bowling attack to an unbeaten 74 off 39 deliveries, featuring five fours and five sixes.
Pooran shared a match-winning stand with Mayers when the side found themselves in a bit of trouble at three for 43, with the two sharing a partnership of 85 runs which took the game away from the tourists. Mayers went on to produce a free-flowing half-century of his own, blazing his willow to a 55 off 38 balls, including two fours and five sixes.
It was a typical West Indies effort with the bat. Even though they lost wickets, they were inclined to stick to their six-hitting ways and trusted their instinct to trigger the opposition’s downfall. Against a Bangladesh unit short of confidence, it was a method bound to work.
Only spinner Mahedi Hasan (1/21) among their bowlers could claim to have had any control and leash on run-scoring for the game.
The visitors also had an unconvincing batting effort, where one stand-out performer Afif Hossain (50 off 38) relished his time in the middle, but the rest struggled. This, including usually blistering opener Liton Das (49 off 41) and their captain Mahmdullah (22 off 20). They took too much time to move the scoreboard, which meant an under-par score for the West Indies to chase.
Some credit for that shall also go to the spin duo of Akeal Hosein (0/31) and Hayden Walsh (2/25), who combined brilliantly to stagnate the Bangladesh run-scoring.
Brief scores
Bangladesh 163/5 in 20 overs (Hossain 50, Das 49; Walsh 2/25) lost to West Indies 169/5 in 18.2 overs (Pooran 74*, Mayers 55; Ahmed 2/44) by five wickets
