Skipper Smith, Santokie shine under lights as Windies A level T20 series

GROS ISLET, St Lucia, CMC – Skipper Dwayne Smith smashed a commanding, unbeaten half-century and pacer Krishmar Santokie snatched four wickets in another fine bowling performance as West Indies A hit back to beat Bangladesh A by 55 runs and level the two-match Digicel Twenty20 series here Saturday night.

The 28-year-old Smith, whose recent form in the shortest version of the game has been very encouraging, scored 71 not out in a total of 152 for four off 20 overs after West Indies A won the toss at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.

Barbadian Smith, who again opened the innings, slammed eight fours and two sixes in his 55-ball knock. He added 55 in 7.3 overs for the second wicket with Miles Bascombe, who made 29 off 26 deliveries after Johnson Charles was dismissed for 13 in the fifth over.

Bangladesh’s Farhad Reza is castled by Carlos Brathwaite. (WindiesCricket.com)

Jason Mohammed fell for seven but then Smith and chirpy wicket-keeper Devon Thomas put on 49 in 4.1 overs for the fourth wicket before Thomas lost his wicket for 25 off just 14 balls, with one ball left in the innings.
Medium-fast bowler Kamrul Islam Rabbi took two for 30 off four overs.

Left-armer Santokie then showed why he is rated as one of the most gifted limited overs bowlers in the region as he grabbed the first two wickets – Junaid Siddique without scoring and Raqibul Hasan for 11.

Bangladesh A continued to lose wickets steadily and struggled all the way to 97 for nine. Mominul Haque’s 42 off 35 balls with three fours and one six at No. 4 was the only score of note. Six of the first eight batsmen failed to reach double-figures.

Santokie, a 26-year-old Jamaican, took four for 24 off four overs to follow figures of three for 18 in the first match, while left-arm spinner Garey Mathurin picked up two for 16, also off four overs.

Bangladesh A won Friday night’s match by one wicket with three balls to spare at the same venue.
Smith captured the Man-of-the-Match award on Saturday, as well as the Man-of-the-Series. On Friday, he also topscored with 35 in a score of 103 for nine and took two wickets.

West Indies won the two-match ‘Test’ series 1-0 and the teams next turn their attention to the three-match limited overs rubber in St. Vincent on November 23, 25 and 27.

Scoreboard
WEST INDIES A
J Charles c Mominul Haque b Kamrul Islam Rabbi          13
*D Smith not out                                                                             71
M Bascombe run out (Farhad Hossain)                                 29
J Mohammed c Shuvagata Hom b Suhrawadi Shuvo         7
+D Thomas c Farhad Reza b Kamrul Islam Rabbi            25
C Barnwell not out                                                                           0
Extras (lb 4, nb3)                                                                            7
TOTAL (w wks, 20 overs)                                                      152
Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Charles, 4.4 ov), 2-79 (Bascombe, 12.1), 3-102 (Mohammed, 15.4), 4-151 (Thomas, 19.5).
Did not bat: C Brathwaite, V Permaul, G Mathurin, S Badree, K Santokie.
Bowling: Farhad Reza 3-0-25-0, Suhrawadi Shuvo 4-0-21-1, Kamrul Islam Rabbi 4-0-30-2 (w1), Sohag Gazi 4-0-28-0 (w1), Mominul Haque 4-0-33-0, Farhad Hossain 1-0-11-0.

BANGLADESH A
+Mithun Ali b Badree                                                               5
Junaid Siddique c Charles b Santokie                                0
Raqibul Hasan c Bascombe b Santokie                            11
Mominul Haque c Charles b Santokie                              42
*Jahurul Islam c Smith b Mathurin                                    0
Shuvagata Hom b Mathurin                                                    1
Farhad Reza b Brathwaite                                                       3
Farhad Hossain b Permaul                                                      7
Suhrawadi Shuvo c Smith b Santokie                                17
Sohag Gazi not out                                                                      5
Extras (lb4, w2)                                                                         6
TOTAL (9 wks, 20 overs)                                                    97
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Junaid Siddique, 0.2 ov), 2-18 (Raqibul Hasan, 4.1), 3-27 (Mithun Ali, 5.4), 4-30 (Jahurul Islam, 8.2), 5-40 (Shuvagata Hom, 10.3), 6-43 (Farhad Reza, 11.1), 7-58 (Farhad Hossain, 14.5), 8-92 (Mominul Haque, 19.3), 9-97 (Suhrawadi Shuvo, 20).
Did not bat: Kamrul Islam Rabbi
Bowling: Santokie 4-0-24-4, Badree 4-1-11-1 (w1), Mathurin 4-0-16-2, Brathwaite 4-0-19-1, Permaul 3-0-21-1, Smith 1-0-2-0.

Result: West Indies A won by 55 runs.
Toss: West Indies A
Series 2-match: Series drawn 1-1
Player of the match: D Smith (West Indies A)
Player of the series: D Smith (West Indies A)
Umpires: N Duguid, CE Mack
Matchreferee: P Felix
Reserve umpire: FX Maurice