A memorable century from Shimron Hetmyer and a pair of tight overs at the end of the innings helped West Indies keep the series alive despite half centuries from the three most senior batsmen in the Bangladesh side emerging with a four-run win in the second One Day International (ODI)at National Stadium Providence yesterday.
Playing in the first Day and Night match at the venue, Mashrafe Mortaza won the toss and sent West Indies in to bat.
Hetmyer duly smashed a belligerent 93-ball 125 that propelled West Indies to 271 all out.
He shared in a century stand with Rovman Powell who made 44 but Bangladesh fought back valiantly with two half century partnerships and fifties from Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim.
Hetmyer, batting at number four, came to the crease with West Indies in a spot of bother after losing both openers early.
He showed confidence and flare but began his innings in consolidation mode.
He helped his side to 104-4 at the halfway stage before shifting gear in the death overs.
Hetmyer brought up his half century from 54 balls but his next 75 runs came from just 39 balls.
The Cumberland native, stroked three fours and seven sixes. He took a special liking to the spinners early on before tearing into Mustafizur Rahman and Mortaza on his way to becoming the youngest West Indian to score a century at home.
Hetmyer was lucky, shots falling safely twice in the cover area. A blunder by Al Hasan in deep mid-wicket resulted in a six with him on 79.
Despite the top five partnerships all getting starts, only Hetmyer and Powell who shared a 103-run stand for the fifth wicket were able to carry on.
The pair joined forces with West Indies looking in trouble after their top heavy batting line up failed to fire.
Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis negotiated the early overs well, picking up the odd boundaries. Gayle looked comfortable with the seamers, pulling Mortaza through square leg for the first boundary, two balls into the innings while Lewis cleared his front foot to pierce deep cover for the same result.
Mortaza was targeted by Lewis as he hooked a bouncer into the Red Stand at square leg for the first six of the innings.
Mortaza shared the new ball with off break bowler, Mehidy Miraz who was not spared as Gayle stepped away from the crease to strike him down the ground then followed up with a small shuffle just enough to get into position to clear long on off successive deliveries.
Hetmyer was forced to consolidate after losing partners rapidly with Powell sharing some 19 overs with him to lay the platform for the West Indies tail. Powell, batting at an uncharacteristically slow rate, manoeuvered his way to a decent 44 from 67 balls, batting until the 43rd over but was undone by Rubel Hossain’s pace that split the stumps.
With Powell back in the shed, the West Indies skipper Holder strolled to the crease to hoick Al Hasan over his head and into the media center.Holder then shimmied down the wicket, missing everything and left a regulation stumping for Rahim behind the stumps.
Ashley Nurse did not spend any significant time at the crease swiping wildly only to send the ball down the throat of deep third man.
With Andre Russell out with an injury, Essequibo native Keemo Paul made the side but didn’t get off with the bat.
Neither did Devendra Bishoo, but he lasted long enough for Hetmyer to push the ball to cover and scamper a single, becoming the youngest West Indian to score a century on home soil. With Alzarri Joseph sheltering from the strike, Hetmyer smashed 29 runs in the last nine balls including 22 runs from the penultimate over of the innings to see West Indies powering to 89 runs in the last 10 overs.
Rubel Hossain finished with 3-61 from his nine overs while Al Hasan and Rahman picked up two wickets apiece.
Bangladesh got off to a flying start thanks to Anamul Haque who smashed Joseph for two boundaries in the first over while clobbering Holder for a six and a four off successive deliveries, both in the mid off region.
Joseph got his revenge, clipping the bails off the off stump to end Haque’s eight-ball flurry of 23.
Bangladesh were in with a chance with three of their most senior batsmen scoring half centuries.
They raced to 53-1 in just 28 balls, their fastest in ODIs with Al Hasan using the pace of Joseph to clear cover and crash into the fence for a one bounce four.
Tamim Iqbal and Al Hasan, followed up their record breaking double century stand, scoring at almost eight runs an over in the first powerplay and making full use of the exposed cover and mid-wicket region. However, the pair was forced to slow down their scoring rate with the slow bowlers coming into play.
Iqbal, naturally aggressive, soaked up 75 balls to bring up his 42nd half century but departed five balls later after being frustrated by Bishoo. Iqbal strayed down the wicket with a reckless swing with Bishoo spot on leaving little for Hope to do behind the stumps, ending his innings of 53 ( six fours) and breaking the partnership of 97 runs.
Bishoo’s second over was particularly eventful. He almost trapped Mushfiqur Rahim leg before but the appeal was turned down by the standing umpire. In the same over Al Hasan raised his 39th half century and was later given out leg before wicket by the umpire only to be given not out when Bangladesh capitalized on the review system.
Al Hasan tried one shot too many with his luck running out as he stepped across, clearing the front foot and lofting a flatter delivery by Nurse into the hands of Paul pushing back from point for a 72-ball 56.
Mahmudullah and Rahim batted sensibly rotating the strike and picking up the odd boundaries.
Mahmudullah was dropped on 17 by Gayle at first slip and the pair capitalized, adding 87 runs for the fourth wicket but with the wicket of Mahmudullah, West Indies clawed back into the match. Holder ran in with his first delivery of his eighth over hitting Rahim above the waste with the ball dropping in the crease as Rahim attempted a run.
Mahmudullah met Rahim at the batting crease and Nurse smartly sent the ball down to Holder who ran out Mahmudullah for 39.
Rahim continued the charge, raising his half century off 56 balls as Bangladesh required 37 from the last four overs to seal the series.
The 31-year-old wicketkeeper batsman wanted to end proceedings off early, smashing Holder for a boundary through backward point and clobbering him over his head into the fence from successive deliveries to bring the equation down to 14 runs from 12 balls.
Paul started the penultimate over well with a dot ball while picking up the wicket of set batsman, Rahman with a full toss, the batsman unable to clear the ropes at deep mid-wicket, picking out Hetmyer.
It left Holder to defend eight runs in the last over.
Holder held his nerve in the last over, removing Rahim with a low full toss as he swiped it into deep midwicket, ending his innings of 68 from 67 balls then following it up with two dots while giving four runs in his next to win the match. The series will now be decided in St. Kitts where the final ODI will take place on Saturday.
