Jayden Seales and Brandon King guided West Indies to a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the second ODI at Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts. West Indies have registered an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with one game left. Jayden Seales was adjudged the Player of the Match (POTM) as he returned figures of 4/22 and broke the back of Bangladesh’s batting order. Jayden Seales dismissed Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mahmudullah to complete his four-wicket haul.
Jayden Seales’ career-best figures of 4 for 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.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : Nice and cool this morning, the early shower has dissipated. This is the same pitch that was used a couple of days ago. 69m hit straight down the ground and 67m and 70m square boundaries. It looks a bit brown-coloured but it’s pretty firm, there’s still some grass on it. I believe the first 15-20 overs could be challenging for the batters, it will hold up a bit, reckon Curtly Ambrose and Samuel Badree
Toss : West Indies skipper Shai Hope won the toss and chose to bowl first with one change in the playing XI as Alzarri Joseph makes way for debutant Marquino Marley in the playing XI. Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz batting first made one change in his playing XI with Shoriful Hasan coming in place of Taskin Ahmed.
Jayden Seales career best 4-22 restricts Bangladesh to 227 all out
The West Indian skipper Shai Hope elected to field first after calling it correctly at the toss and it helped. Jayden Seales helped the hosts make early inroads as Bangladesh were languishing for 54 after losing three wickets inside the first 10 overs.
Their decision to bowl first in St. Kitts was vindicated when Jayden Seales had Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das and Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz walking back to the pavilion cheaply inside the powerplay despite the Tanzid Hasan counterattack at the other end. The opener batted beautifully and struck four boundaries and a couple of sixes in his 33-ball stay for 46 before Justin Greaves sent him back, leaving the visitors at 64/4.
Before Jayden Seales took his wickets, Bangladesh got off to a rapid start when Tanzid struck debutant Marquino Mindley for two fours and as many sixes in the first three overs. Jayden Seales broke through soon, getting Soumya Sarkar caught at mid-on for two. Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz then followed Soumya in the first powerplay, both falling to Seales. Litton plodded along for four off 18 balls before his attempted pull shot was much too early, as it took the toe of the bat, and lobbed to point.
Opener Tanzid Hasan fought fire with fire and scored 46 off just 33 balls. Tanzid struck four boundaries and two sixes in his innings and tried to transfer the pressure onto the West Indian bowling attack.
Jayden Seales then caught Mehidy in two minds, as he tried to leave the ball but it took the inside edge and on to the stumps. Tanzid had kept Bangladesh going at the other end, but he couldn’t convert another start into a big one. After striking Justin Greaves for two fours in the eleventh over, he fell in the same over, caught at point. It was similar to how Tanzid fell in the first ODI.
A brief recovery ensued as Mahmudullah dropped anchor and, together with Afif Hossain, put on a 36-run stand. However, Gudakesh Motie joined the party and sent back Afif and Jaker Ali in succeeding overs to leave the visitors reeling at 104/6 in 21 overs. Rishad Hossain’s eight-ball duck only made matters worse.
Afif then started well, hitting Romario Shepherd for four boundaries, lofting him twice over his head, and once over cover. Attempting a similar hit off Motie however, Afif fell to a catch at long-off for 24. Jaker Ali and Rishad Hossain Motie then followed quickly, and cheaply. Motie trapped Jaker lbw for three, before Rishad became Mindley’s first ODI wicket, falling for a duck. West Indies were making it look like a cakewalk as they reduced Bangladesh to 115 for seven at this stage.
Mahmudullah, who had struck one six till that point, had to trust Tanzim, who previously had a first-class fifty to his name. Tanzim looked determined as he struck two fours before launching Motie for his first six over long-on. Mahmudullah had struck two sixes till that point. The pair then hammered Greaves for a six and a four in consecutive overs, before repeating the same dose a few overs later, on the same bowler.
Mahmudullah then found company in Tanzim Hasan Sakib and together the pair stitched a defiant 92-run stand for the eighth wicket to lend some respectability to the Bangladesh total.
The senior batter took charge initially while Sakib took nine deliveries to open his account. Mahmudullah didn’t hold back when the ball was in his hitting arc, and even slammed a couple of sixes to make the best of the bad balls on either side of a Romario Shepherd maiden over. Sakib put Bangladesh past the 150 mark with a six off Motie, who finished an excellent spell with 2 for 36, and grew in confidence with every shot thereon.
Roston Chase ended the partnership in the 44th over when he caught Tanzim off his own bowling. It was a fine effort from the young cricketer, hitting six boundaries in his 62-ball stay. Veteran allrounder Mahmudullah stitched a 92-run stand for the eighth wicket with bowling allrounder Tanzim Hasan Sakib to bail the tourists out of crisis. Mahmudullah scored 62 off 92 balls with the help of two fours and four sixes and propelled Bangladesh beyond 200.
Mahmudullah followed Tanzim back to the pavilion in the next over, bizarrely hitting Seales’ wide delivery down deep point’s throat. His 62 came off 92 balls, including two fours and four sixes. It is only the second time in his career that Mahmudullah scored three fifties in a row in ODIs.
Mahmudullah reached his fifty in 84 balls – his fourth at the venue in six innings – and soon after took his team past 200 with a six and a four off Greaves in the 43rd over. However, Roston Chase took an excellent return catch in his follow through to deny Sakib a fifty by just five runs. Mahmudullah was dismissed soon after as Seales returned to the attack and struck immediately. It was Shoriful Islam’s 4,4,6 in an eight-ball cameo of 15 that gave Bangladesh a respectable 227 before they were eventually bowled out in the 46th over.
Tanzim also played a 45-run knock off 62 deliveries studded with four boundaries and two sixes to take some pressure off Mahmudullah. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie claimed two wickets after conceding 36 runs in 10 overs and played a supporting act to Jayden Seales. Bangladesh posted 227 runs on the board before getting bundled out inside 46 overs.
Brandon King powers West Indies to 7 wicket over Bangladesh to seal series 2-0
Chasing a below-par 228, West indies were served well by an opening stand of 109 between Brandon King and Evin Lewis. King was the aggressor initially as Lewis struggled to find his rhythm, but the duo ensured the home team had a solid base to build the chase on. Batting on 6 off 23 at one point, Lewis took on Sakib with a 4,6,4 in the ninth over to shift gears as well as bring up the fifty for his team. At the end of the first powerplay, West indies were comfortably placed at 54 without loss.
Lewis clubbed Mehidy down the ground for a couple of sixes and even got a life in between, but Rishad Hossain had him caught and bowled just one short of a fifty to put an end to the late fireworks from him. Brandon King, who had raised a 52-ball fifty in the meantime, continued to anchor as he joined hands with Keacy Carty for a 66-run partnership where the latter did the scoring mostly.
Carty struck seven boundaries in his 47-ball stay and became the second West Indies batter to be denied a half-century as he fell five short – Nahid Rana, who had earlier dismissed King taking a fine diving catch.
However, the hosts were only 31 away from winning the series at the point and Sherfane Rutherford’s lusty blows – two sixes and a four in a 15-ball 24 – sealed the deal with seven wickets and more than 13 overs to spare. 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.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Shai Hope the winning WI skipper said : Very pleased. You understand the importance of wickets in the powerplay and the bowlers delivered what was asked of them. We always analyze our game whether we win or lose and it is nice to see us ticking boxes and keep improving.
We asked the guys to finish the series up here 2-0 and one more to go, so looking forward to it. He (Mindley) had a great outing today, he has been bowling well in domestic cricket for a long time now and he did well. Every game is important and it is critical in terms of getting those points which will help us qualify for the next World Cup.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz the losing Bangladesh skipper said : We did not bat well in the middle overs and could not get the partnerships going. Mahmudullah and Sakib tried their best at the end with the bat. They bowled really well and first few overs they did not allow us to get runs and Seales was bowling really well. We knew 228 was not going to be enough on this wicket. We bowled really well in the first 10 overs, but there are some areas we need to improve on.
Jayden Seales Player of the Match for his career best 4 for 22 said : Pleased with the way I bowled today, things didn’t go my way in the first game. I realized what the batters were trying to do to me after the first game and it was all about adjusting the lengths and bowling as fast as I can. Our plan was to bowl in good areas with the new ball and not go searching and force them to make mistakes.
The West Indies look a happy bunch as they stride out to the centre for handshakes. This is their first series win in ODIs against Bangladesh since 2014. Chasing a below-par 228, the hosts had an excellent opening stand of 109 with King playing the aggressor role from the onset. Lewis, though a bit late, too found his rhythm, but missed out on a well-deserved fifty.
Carty chipped in with a 47-ball 45 that included 7 boundaries and only fitting that the man-in-form Sherfane Rutherford finished it off with a couple of lusty blows to mark a special win for his team. The victory, of course, was set up by the bowlers and Jayden Seales, in particular, who went onto claim his career best figures of 4/22 that included 4 of the top six batters.
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 ten 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.
Another crucial win for the West Indies in terms of their qualification for the next World Cup. Still a long, long way to go, but every win counts and there is an extra reason to celebrate as well. They have managed to seal an ODI series against Bangladesh for the first time since 2014 and that would have given them immense satisfaction and joy. Can they extend their dominance and finish the series 3-0 or can Bangladesh bounce back for a solitary win would be interesting to watch on Thursday 12th January 2024.