Windies skittle out B'desh for 58,win by 9 wickets

Dhaka, March 4: Bangladesh put in a pathetic performance with the bat as the West Indies bowled out the hosts for a shocking 58, in their World Cup tie at Mirpur. Off-spinner Suleiman Benn took 4/18, while speedsters Kemar Roach and Darren Sammy claimed three wickets a piece. Bangladeshi batsman Junnaid Siddique top-scored for his side with 25 in an otherwise terribly dismal showing. Only he and Mohammad Ashraful (11) got into double figures. In reply, the Windies cantered to the target of 59 with 9 wickets and 226 balls remaining, Chris Gayle was not out on 37 and Darren Bravo, on 9.

Bangaldesh's innings got off to a poor start, but there was nothing that early to suggest that their performance would be as miserable as it turned out to be. In just the third ball, Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh's most consistent batsman in the Cup so far, edged Kemar Roach straight into the hands of second slip, to depart for a duck. Junaid Suddique counter-attacked with a couple of fours, but in the 4th over, the other opener - Imrul Kayes - was caught behind of captain Darren Sammy and the hosts were 16/2. The fours kept coming of Siddique's bat, but so did the wickets at the other end. Mushfiqur Rahim was the next to go, also for a duck and also to Sammy as Bangaldesh slipped to 25/3.

Siddique's defiance was brought to an end soon afterward when Roach trapped him in front for 25. Capatin Shakib Al Hasan tried to offset the pressure by slapping Sammy for a boundary, but in the next over, he was bowled by Benn for 8, with Bangladesh in serious trouble at 40/4.

Raqibul Hasan hung around with Mohammad Ashraful to take the side past 50, but could manage little else. He was caught at point off Sammy for 4 and the Bangaldeshis were 51/5 in 14 overs. Then Benn had Naeem Islam caught behind for 1 before Roach removed Ashraful for 11, in a similar manner to leave the hosts reeling at 56/8 in 17.1 overs.

The end came swiftly as Benn polished off the tail in the 19th over. He first had Shafiul Islam caught by Kieron Pollard at gully and then bowled Rubel Hossain for a duck. Bangladesh were all out for a mierable 58 in 18.5 overs.

In reply, the Windies got off to a brisk start. Bangaldesh opened the bowling with pacer Shafiul Islam and spinner Naeem Islam. But the former was carted for a four by each Chris Gayle and Devon Smith in the 3rd over. Then Gayle struck two consecutive boundaries off Rubel Hossain in the 5tth as the Windies climbed to 29/0.

However, in the next over, Naeem Islam bowled Smith for 6. But Darren Bravo and Chris Gayle warded off fears of a collapse with some aggressive batting. Gayle knocked fours of Abdur Razzak and Naeem Islam before Bravo did the same to Mohammad Ashraful. The Windies climbed past 50 in the 11th over and finished off the match in the13th. They had won by 9 wickets with 226 balls remaining.