Shoriful, Miraz star as Tigers restrict Windies to a low total

A disciplined approach from Bangladesh's bowling unit helped the Tigers restrict West Indies to a low total in their first ODI of the three-match series at the Providence Stadium in Guyana today. 

Off-spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz and pacer Shoriful Islam led the charge with the ball in hand as they shared seven wickets between them to restrict West Indies to 149 for nine in a game that was reduced to 41-overs-a-side after the start of play was delayed for over an hour due to wet outfield. The Tigers could have restricted the hosts to a lower total had they not dropped as many as four catches, all of them at the later stage of the game. 

The first to strike for Bangladesh, however, was pacer Mustafizur Rahman. With his very first delivery, the left-armer removed Windies opener Shai Hope as a fuller-length inswinger took the inside edge off the bat of Hope before brushing off his pads and hitting the right-hander's stump. 

With the spinners getting plenty of assistance off the pitch -- thanks to overnight rain that had made the surface much more conducive to spin -- Bangladesh kept things tight in the middle and kept on creating chances. 

Miraz almost had Kyle Mayers, who was yet to open his account, in the fourth over when a good length delivery turned sharply to take an edge off the bat of the left-hander only to go between the keeper and first slip for a boundary. 

Miraz, however, went on to remove Mayers (10 off 27) in the 12th over when extra turn and bounce off the pitch saw Mayers completely miss his shot as the ball went onto hit the off stump. 

The hosts then struggled in the middle as they failed to rotate the strike. The pressure kept mounting and with an attempt to ease the pressure, Brandon King, after a steady 31-ball 8, miscued a Shoriful Islam delivery straight to the fielder at mid-off. 

To make things worse, Shoriful removed Shamarh Brooks, who was the only one looking settled in the middle, in the very next delivery after the right-hander edged one back to the keeper. He had to walk off after a 66-ball 33, leaving the Windies wanting at 55 for four after 20.5 overs.

Miraz then had the dangerous in-form Rovman Powell trapped in front before rattling the stumps of Windies skipper Nicholas Pooran, who was threatening to accelerate by charging on the bowlers. However, Pooran was halted by Miraz after just three boundaries and a 24-ball 18-run knock. 

With one bowler allowed to bowl a maximum of nine overs while four bowlers allowed to bowl eight each according to the revised conditions, Miraz had finished his quota of bowling for the day as he returned figures of three for 36 in nine overs that included two maidens. But that could not keep Miraz out of the game as the all-rounder then effected a run-out to dismiss Akeal Hosein in the 31st over. 

Left-arm pacer Shoriful once again struck twice in an over, removing Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie in the 34th over. He finished with his career-best ODI figures of four for 34 in eight overs that included one maiden. 

The final Windies pair of Anderson Phillip (21* off 22) and Jayden Seales (16* off 23) added a total of 39 runs off 45 deliveries -- the highest partnership for the Windies on the day -- to help the hosts avoid being bundled out.