West Indies pacer Keemo Paul (C) celebrates the wicket of Bangladesh batsman Mohammad Saifuddin (R) during their third Twenty20 international match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Saturday. — AFP photo
Keemo Paul grabbed record 5-15 after Evin Lewis smashed a blistering half-century as the West Indies crushed Bangladesh by 50 runs in the third Twenty20 international to take the three-match series 2-1 in Dhaka on Saturday.
Bangladesh fought hard to dismiss West Indies for 190 in 19.2 overs despite man-of-the-match Lewis plundered 89 off 36 balls, but the hosts could not show the same spirit with the bat.
Paul recorded best ever Twenty20 bowling for the West Indies to help the visitors bowl out Bangladesh for 140 runs and exact a sweet revenge on Bangladesh, who had won the Twenty20 series against his side by identical margin in the Caribbean in July-August.
Opener Liton Das, who made highest 43 off 25 balls, gave Bangladesh yet another prolific start but the hosts lost their way after an umpiring gaffe appeared to have broken their concentration.
In the fourth over of the innings, Bangladeshi umpire Tanvir Ahmed called West Indies’ Oshane Thomas a no-ball when Liton spooned a catch to Shimron Hetmyer at mid-off.
Television replay had confirmed Thomas bowled a perfectly legitimate delivery and watching it in giant screen West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite turned extremely furious.
Brathwaite immediately asked for a review and ran towards boundary to discuss the matter to fourth umpire and match referee, resulting in a chaos.
Match officials had uphold the decision as there was no rule of overturning the no-ball call of an on-field umpire but it clearly took a toll on Bangladesh, who were on 54-1 during the incident but collapsed soon.
Fabien Allen left Bangladesh’s innings in disarray by removing Soumya Sarkar and Sakib Al Hasan in successive balls before Paul began his haul with the wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim in the next over.
Mehedi Hasan (19) and Abu Hider (22 not out) provided some late entertainment but they could not give West Indies any headache as Bangladesh were all out in 17 overs.
‘If you look at the way the game went, West Indies got off to a flier so they had momentum,’ said Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes after the match.
‘And the way we wrestled in it was unbelievable. We started our innings with the momentum as well and the delay definitely shifted the game.’
Lewis set up the win for West Indies for West Indies hitting six fours and
eight sixes – four of the sixes in one over – until he was dismissed by Mahmudullah.
Asked to bat first, Lewis and Shai Hope put on 76 runs in just five overs before left-arm spinner Sakib and pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman struck.
Sakib bowled Hope for 23 while Mustafiz removed Paul for two, but Lewis continued his onslaught, racing to 50 off just 18 balls.
Mahmudullah, who finished with 3-18, trapped Shimron Hetmyer leg-before for a duck right after he bowled Lewis, putting a brake on West Indies’ scoring spree.
Nicholas Pooran added 29 off 24 balls down the order but Bangladesh did well in the final overs to contain West Indies.
West Indies were 176-5 after 16 overs but lost their last five wickets for just 14 runs and folded in 19.2 overs.
Mustafiz and Sakib finished with 3-33 and 3-37 respectively.
Source: New Age.