Bangladesh thrash WI in opening ODI

Tourists unable to withstand spin pressure.

KHULNA: Tamim Iqbal and Naeem Islam scored half-centuries while Sohag Gazi took four wickets as Bangladesh beat the West Indies by seven wickets in the first one-day match yesterday.

Iqbal smashed a 51-ball 58 while Islam finished with an unbeaten 50 as the hosts achieved a modest 200-run target with 9.2 overs to spare, for a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Gazi took four wickets for 29, the best figures by a Bangladeshi bowler on one-day debut, to restrict the West Indies to 199.

“Our quicks set the platform, the spinners backed them up,” said Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim. “Today we played as a team, so I am happy.”

West Indian captain Darren Sammy said the hosts were worthy winners.

“Credit to Bangladesh, they had a plan, they stuck to it, and they deserved to win,” said Sammy. “There are four games to go, I am sure we can come back.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2012.