The West Indies will look to secure victory in the T20 leg of their series against Bangladesh with a win in the USA on Sunday morning.
The West Indies outclassed Bangladesh in the series opener, in an abbreviated chase thanks to an extended rain delay. The home side were always likely to come out on top, though, with the Tigers posting a score that looked 30 to 40 runs light.
Bangladesh weren’t helped by the Duckworth-Lewis system, or openers Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar, who were dismissed in the first over of the match.
West Indies vs Bangladesh | Sunday, 5 August | Central Broward Regional Park, Florida | 02:00
To Win Match
West Indies 46/100
Tie 35/1
Bangladesh 7/4
West Indies
The West Indies have enjoyed mixed results in Lauderhill, but the surface generally produces high-scoring contests which will favour the World T20 Champions.
Spinner Ashley Nurse and paceman Kesrick Williams were instrumental in setting up the victory in the first T20I. Nurse struck twice while opening the bowling and Williams bagged career-best figures of four for 28.
The Windies were made to chase just 93 at Warner Park – and as such didn’t get the opportunity to pace their innings correctly.
Openers Evin Lewis and Andre Fletcher will be aware that Chadwick Walton is waiting in the wings, after both failed early on in Basseterre. Reserve bowler Sheldon Cottrell seems far less likely to get a game, unless one of the pacemen picks up an injury.
Andre Russell performed the finisher role with aplomb to give the West Indies the series lead – and the hosts will look to him to contribute with both bat and ball again.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh were poor with the bat in hand in the opener. Mahmudullah Riyaz’s 35 ended as the top score in a mediocre effort from the tourists, at a sluggish Warner Park.
They had the wind knocked out of them early, but it looked as though the middle-order might correct the course, until Keemo Paul and Williams got stuck in.
Bangladesh have now lost their last five T20Is in a row, stretching back to their defeat to India in Sri Lanka in March.
The West Indies showed greater match awareness in the first contest, choosing to look to clear the small boundaries in St Kitts on the full. The Windies hit eight sixes, whereas Bangladesh managed just two, both from the bat of Shakib Al Hasan.
The Tigers will rely heavily on Tamim and Shakib to lift their performance, as they head to the United States.
Verdict: West Indies 46/100
The West Indies would need to suffer a major implosion for Bangladesh to stand any chance of getting the win in Lauderhill. The hosts have too much experience and class in a format effectively tailored to Caribbean cricketers.
