Batting collapse erodes work of Permaul, Hope

DHAKA, Bangladesh,  CMC – More impressive bowling from Veerasammy Permaul and a half-century from Kyle Hope yesterday, were undone by another Sagicor High Performance Centre batting collapse, again triggered by spin, putting them in danger of losing their tour match against Bangladesh-A

The 23-year-old Hope hit the top score of 52, Marlon Barclay made 33 and Andre Fletcher added 20, as the Sagicor HPC, chasing 239 to win, stumbled to 120 for six at the close on the penultimate day of the four-day match at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium.

Hope struck eight fours from 70 balls in 96 minutes, but he was one of four wickets that fell for 12 runs in the space of 45 balls, as left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib captured 4-27 from 14 overs to undermine the visitors’ batting.

This unfolded after Permaul grabbed 4-44 from 27 overs and was supported by Sheldon Cotterrell, Carlos Brathwaite and Jomel Warrican, as Bangladesh-A were dismissed for 186 in their second innings about half-hour before tea.

Cotterrell took 2-15 from six overs, Brathwaite 2-33 from 19 overs and Warrican 2-65 from 24.5 overs, but Naeem Islam hit 60, Raqibul Hasan got 35 and Enamul Haque Jr 25 to prop up the Bangladesh-A innings.

The Sagicor HPC were set back early, when Trevon Griffith fell for one in the fourth over, as they reached 20 for one at tea.

After the break, the emerging West Indies players sunk to 36 for two, when fellow opener Andre Fletcher became Saqlain’s first wicket.

Barclay joined Hope and spent nearly two hours at the crease, stabilising the innings with a third-wicket stand of 65 before he was lbw to Naeem Islam.

His dismissal set the collapse in motion with Saqlain trapping Jermaine Blackwood lbw for one before he bowled Hope and had Brathwaite dismissed for a duck, the Sagicor HPC sliding from 101 for two to 113 for six.

Earlier, the Sagicor HPC toiled to keep the Bangladesh-A batting in check, after the home team continued from their overnight total of 88 for three.

The visitors’ bowlers kept things extremely tight in the morning period, restricting them to 149 for six at lunch, after picking up the wickets of Raqibul, the Bangladesh-A captain, caught behind off Permaul, Anamul Haque bowled by Brathwaite for nine, and Forhad Hossain lbw to Permaul for one.

After the interval, Permaul made an almost immediate breakthrough, when he bowled Shahadat Hossain for one before the Sagicor HPC were frustrated by an eighth-wicket stand of 31 between Naeem and Enamul.

Cotterrell separated them after close to half-hour, when Naeem was caught behind following an innings that included half-dozen boundaries from 213 balls in 357 minutes.

The Sagicor HPC left-arm fast bowler followed up, when he bowled Nazmul Hossain for a two-ball duck before Warrican brought the innings to a close with the removal of Enamul.

The Sagicor HPC players are on a month-long tour to Bangladesh.