BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – Victory at long last came for West Indies, when they stumped Bangladesh by five wickets in a Twenty20 International yesterday.
Chasing a modest victory target of 119 from their allocation of 20 overs, West Indies reached the promised land with 19 balls to spare.
Travis Dowlin, whose run-a-ball 37 was the top score for West Indies, brought relief to his teammates and fans in diverse places, when he pulled a long-hop from Mehrab Hossain Jr through mid-wicket for the last of his five fours.
The result in the T20I followed West Indies – albeit a side decimated by a boycott by leading players – suffering an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Tigers in the preceding two Tests and three One-day Internationals.
West Indies were never under any pressure, although opener Dale Richards was bowled with the first ball of the chase by Bangladesh captain and champion left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan.
A stand of 46 between Andre Fletcher and Devon Smith spiced things up, and got West Indies into the proper frame of mind.
Fletcher fell in the sixth over lbw to Nazmul Hossain for eight, and Smith, who hit three fours and two sixes in 37 from 27 balls, was caught behind off Rubel Hossain in the ninth over.
West Indies were 67 for three, but their captain Floyd Reifer joined Dowlin, and they put on a sound 40 from 52 balls to make sure that Bangladesh would not completely sweep the international matches.
Reifer and his deputy Darren Sammy fell within five balls of each other in the 16th over to catches in the deep off Mohammad Ashraful, but West Indies were well within reach of safe harbour.
Earlier, West Indies continued to bowl steadily and fielded sharply to restrict Bangladesh to 118 for nine from their 20 overs.
West Indies successfully ran four Bangladesh batsmen out to keep the pressure under the visitors, despite a top score of 27 from Naeem Islam and 21 from Mahmudullah.
Once the home team reduced Bangladesh to 12 for three in the third over, the Tigers were unable to scri pt a serious fight-back.
Nikita Miller finished with two for 22 from four overs, and Darren Sammy, who was named Man-of-the-Match, ended with two for 33 from four overs.
