Bangladesh conceded a frustrating 73-run defeat to holders West Indies in their first Group B Super 10 match of the ICC World Twenty20 at the home of Bangladesh Cricket — Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium– in Mirpur on Tuesday. In reply to West Indies’ 171 for seven, the Tigers were all out for cheaply 98 runs in 19.1 overs. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim scored the team highest run-a-ball 22 with two fours and a six. Besides, Mashrafe Mortaza made 19 runs off 17 deliveries featuring three fours. Mominul Haque, 16, Sohag Gazi, 11, and Anamul Haque, 10, were the other contributors for Bangladesh. Samuel Badree bowled excellently to claim four wickets for only 15 runs in his four-over spell while Krishmar Santokie took three wickets for 17 runs in his quota. Besides, Andre Russel grabbed two wickets for 10 runs while Sunil Narine 1 wicket conceding 17 runs. Earlier, West Indies piled up the mammoth total of 171 runs for 7 in stipulated 20 overs against hosts Bangladesh Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss and sent the Caribbean team to bat first in a cloudy weather but in the batting pitch. The Bengal Tigers, which conceded an embarrassing defeat to ICC Associate member Hong Kong in their last qualifying round match today (Tuesday) made four chances in their line-up. Bangladesh included pacer Mashrafe bin Mortaza, spinner Shohag Gazi, top order batsman Mominul Haque and fresh-called all rounder Ziaur Rahman dropping off-form all rounder Nasir Hossain, experienced spinner Abdur Razzak and Farhad Reza. Earlier, pacer Rubel Hossain was ruled out of the tournament due to injury. Going to bat first in the batting surface, West Indies made a flying start scoring 97 runs in 11.5 overs in the opening stand by Dwayne Smith and Chris Gayle. Spinner Mahmudullah made the first breakthrough claiming the wicket of opener highest scorer Dwayne Smith while all rounder Shakib Al Hasan took the 2nd wicket for Bangladesh at the same score grabbing the wicket of one down batsman Lendle Simmons to restrict the Caribbean at 97 for 2 in 12 overs. Smith hammered a polished 43-ball 72 runs featuring 10 fours and three sixes to be adjudged man of the match. One down Lendle Simmons returned to the dressing room with golden duck, caught by Tamim Iqbal off a Shakib delivery. Celebrating batsman Chris Gayle pairing with two down Marlon Samuels contributed 54 runs in the 3rd wicket stand to carry the team total to 151 runs for 3 in 18.1 overs. Chris Gayle’s innings of run-a-ball 48 with three fours and two sixes came to an end by a well judged catch by Tamim Iqbal at long-off off a Ziaur Rahman ball. Tamim attempted on overhead ball, lobbed the ball up near boundary line, goes out and came back to complete catch amid huge cheers from full house crowd. Captain Darren Sammy remained not out scoring 14 runs off just five balls hitting three boundaries while remaining three Caribbean batsmen– Andre Russel, Dwayne Bravo and Dinesh Ramdin–back to the pavilion with duck. Pacer Al Amin Hossain was the most successful among the Bangladesh bowlers grabbing three wickets for 21 runs in his four-over spell dismissing Samuel (18), Russell and Bravo with duck in the 19th overs to restrict West Indies to 171 for 7 in 20 overs. Ziaur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah claimed one wicket each conceding 16, 21 and 27 runs respectively. – UNB
