Tamim, Mushfiq, Shakib propel Bangladesh to 255

Sports Desk: Bangladesh posted a moderate total of 255 runs for 7 in stipulated 50 overs in the 2nd game of the three-match ODI series against West Indies with Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal scoring half centuries.

Oshane Thomas, the 21-year-old left-arm fast bowler, took three scalps for visiting West Indies.

Bangladesh added only four runs in the last two overs. That prevented them from going for a higher total passing the 250-mark. Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Mehidy Hasan Miraz were in the middle at that time.

Bangladesh started the innings in a frustrating manner when they lost Liton Das in the second over of the innings as he sustained a blow on his lower part of the right leg by a delivery from Oshane Thomas. Liton went down due to a significant amount of pain and subsequently, he was stretchered off the field.

Imrul came to the wicket in the second over and got dismissed without adding anything to his credit. The left-hander failed to face Thomas as he delivered a ball that passed Imrul touching his bat to the wicketkeeper. Shai Hope did not miss the chance to send Imrul back to the dressing room.

Bangladesh lost two wickets within four overs, including injured Liton Das who later backed to bat at 44th over after Mahmudullah Riyad’s dismissal.

After the initial blow, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim added 111 runs at the third wicket stand. Both of them returned with a half-century each, and which was Mushfiqur’s second successive fifty in the series. The biggest stand of Bangladesh's innings came to an end when Tamim went to slog Devendra Bishoo, but failed to judge the delivery correctly that resulted in his removal.

Mushfiqur failed to continue after Tamim’s dismissal. At the fourth wicket stand with Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh got another seven runs only. But in the fifth wicket stand, Shakib and Mahmudullah added 61 runs that gave Bangladesh an edge to a challenging score.

Mahmudullah fell after a slow-30 off 51 balls. He skied a ball to cover and Rovman Powell grabbed that. Soumya failed to utilise his chance at number seven. He managed only six off eight deliveries.

Liton came to bat managing his pain but scored only eight. He fell to Keemo Paul to deep square leg where Shimron Hetmyer took a well-anticipated catch. Bangladesh lost seven wickets at 239.

Eventually, Bangladesh managed to gather 255 on the board. They need to defend it for winning the series today with one match to play.

Earlier, Rovman Powell, the stand-in captain of West Indies, won the toss and sent Bangladesh to bat first. In the series opener on Sunday, he had decided to bat first and posted 195 on the board. They lost the match by five wickets.

risingbd/Dhaka/December 11, 2018/AKA