Jaker Ali’s blistering unbeaten 72 highlighted a dominant Bangladesh effort as the visitors thrashed the West Indies by 80 runs in the third and final T20 International to sweep the series 3-0 at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent on Thursday.
Benefiting from a huge reprieve when he thought he had been run out on 18, the attacking right-hander took heavy toll of an uninspired Caribbean team, belting six sixes and three fours off just 41 balls to pace his side to a challenging 189 for seven after skipper Litton Das opted to bat first.
Beaten in the first two low-scoring matches at the same venue, the West Indies were never in the hunt for a consolation victory after losing Brandon King to the second delivery of their reply and were eventually bundled out for 109 off 16.4 overs.
All-rounder Romario Shepherd top-scored with 33.
Wrist-spinner Rishad Hossain led the rout with three for 21 while there were two wickets each for fellow spinner Mahedi Hasan, the “Man of the Series,” and seamer Taskin Ahmed, who had the distinction of starting the slide when the trapped King leg-before and then sealed victory by bowling local hero Obed McCoy.
Debutant opener Parvez Hossain Emon, playing in the absence of the injured Soumya Sarkar, set the tone for the Bangladesh innings with 39 off 21 balls before “Man of the Match” Jaker took over the show with a display typical of his uninhibited batting style.
However, it could all have been very different had the on-field run out decision against him stood following a terrible mix-up with Shamim Hossain. A fuming Jaker, believing that a second run was always on, could not disguise his rage when Shamim opted to return to the striker’s end and bowler Roston Chase effected the dismissal.
Yet even as he continued to vent his frustration in the dressing room, television replays showed he had made his ground at the striker’s end just before his partner returned to safety, meaning that Shamim was the man eventually on his way back to the pavilion.
All was forgiven at the end of the innings, though, as Shamim was first to embrace his teammate after his power-hitting drained any enthusiasm left in a deflated West Indies side.
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