Fizz shines as BD romp into final

Bangladesh continued their winning run in the ongoing ODI tri-series in Ireland by registering a comfortable five-wicket win over West Indies and secured their place in the series final at the Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin yesterday.

Mushfiqur Rahim top scored for Bangladesh with a 73-ball 63, featuring five fours and a six, while Soumya Sarkar also struck a fifty-plus score to help clinch an easy win.

In chase of a modest 247, Bangladesh made a solid start riding on Tamim Iqbal and Soumya, who added a fifty-run opening stand before the former was dismissed by off-spinner Ashley Nurse on 21. Nurse then dispatched Shakib Al Hasan on 29 and followed up with the wicket of Soumya on 54, leaving the Tigers in a precarious position on 107 for three in 20.5 overs.

However, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Mithun strung together an 83-run third wicket partnership before the latter was dismissed on 43 to help ensure an easy win, where Mahmudullah Riyad remained unbeaten on thirty, in the end.

With this win, Bangladesh secured their place in the series final, where they will once again face West Indies on May 17 after taking on Ireland in their final group fixture tomorrow.

Earlier, Bangladesh had bowled brilliantly as Mustafizur Rahman picked up a four-wicket haul while skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza secured three scalps to restrict West Indies to 247 for nine in 50 overs after the Caribbean side elected to bat.

Windies opener Shai Hope top scored for the side with a 108-ball 87, laced with six fours and a six, while captain Jason Holder added a 76-ball 62 with the Tigers’ picking up wickets at regular intervals.

Mustafizur, whose performances were below-par in the previous matches, bowled brilliantly to end with figures of four for 43 from his nine overs while Mashrafe bagged three wickets for sixty runs from his ten overs.

Bangladesh’s spin duo, Shakib and Mehedi Hasan Miraz, also helped keep things tight for the Windies batters. Shakib picked up one wicket while giving away just 27 runs from his ten overs while Mehedi scalped one as well for 41 runs from the same number of overs.

Bangladesh made one change to the squad from the previous fixture as pacer Mohammad Saifuddin, who is suffering from back pain, was replaced by fellow pacer Abu Jayed, who showed little bite on his ODI debut.