Bangladesh stay in touch after Windies lead by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Scorecard:	West Indies v Bangladesh
Player:	Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, OJ Phillips
Event:	Bangladesh in West Indies 2009

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DateLine: 12th July 2009

 

Bangladesh openers survived a tricky seven-over period before stumps to typify a spirited day's work against West Indies.

 

Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes saw Bangladesh through to the close unscathed on 26 for none to make early inroads into West Indies' first-innings lead of 69 runs in the first Test at St Vincent.

 

The advantage could have been greater but for a plucky Bangladesh display with the ball as they bowled out the hosts for 307, despite their main spearhead and captain Mashrafe Mortaza being forced from the field with a knee injury in just the sixth over of the day.

 

Mortaza who is captaining his side for the first time, landed awkwardly in his delivery stride and did not reappear after heading off for the pavilion.

 

That looked ominous for the Tigers as their bowling attack lacked sharpness in an opening session during which they could only capture the wicket of nightwatchman Ryan Austin.

 

The Windies added 119 runs in the session and with debutant opener Omar Phillips reaching his maiden half century untroubled they looked set to build a sizeable first-innings lead.

 

However the loss of four wickets in the middle session pegged the hosts back. Travis Dowlin fell soon after lunch when he was trapped lbw by Shakib Al Hasan, before Phillips fell six runs short of what would have been a deserved century on debut.

 

Stand-in captain Floyd Reifer and David Bernard had looked to further build on that with a 51-run stand for the fifth wicket before off-spinner Mahmudullah struck with consecutive balls on the stroke of tea.

 

The 23-year-old lured Reifer (25) to drive at a ball that spun away from him and caught an outside edge that flew to Shakib at first slip. On the very next ball he had Chadwick Walton caught by the same man, this time at a leg slip, after he turned the ball straight into his hands.

 

These wickets started a collapse that saw the hosts lose their final six wickets for a mere adition of 80 runs and miss the chance to build a match-winning lead.

 

Mahmudullah finished with figures of three for 59 while debutant seamer Hossain impressed with three for 76.