Kesrick Williams’ career-best bowling figures and an outstanding boundary catch highlighted an efficient effort by the West Indies in limiting Bangladesh to 143 for nine batting first in the opening encounter of the three-match T20 International series.
After off-spinner Ashley Nurse rocked the visitors with the wickets of both openers without scoring in the first over of the match, Williams claimed four for 28 to ensure there would be no substantial recovery for the tourists despite a fighting topscore of 35 from Mahmudullah.
Promising all-rounder Keemo Paul also contributed with two wickets as the West Indies, beaten 2-1 in the One-Day International series after dominating the preceding two Tests, pressed for an early advantage.
Put in to bat by West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite, Bangladesh got off to the worst possible start at Warner Park in St Kitts today.
Tamim Iqbal, who scored two centuries and a fifty to be “Man of the Series” in the one-dayers, was smartly stumped by Denesh Ramdin to the first ball of the match while opening partner Soumya Sarkar also failed to score, being bowled by Nurse three balls later.
Curiously, it was the only over bowled by the off-spinner in the innings.
Despite the loss of those early wickets, Bangladesh were progressing at almost ten runs per over halfway through the innings.
But that scoring rate dropped alarmingly as the wickets continued to tumble. Mahmudullah managed useful partnerships with Liton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim, however Williams’ clever variations of pace strangled the innings, his dismissal of Mahmudullah effectively ending the tourists’ hopes of a substantial score.
Williams had made his mark in the innings even before bowling a ball as he skilfully completed a catch on the third man boundary to remove Captain Shakib al Hasan off Paul.