Bangladesh seal West Indies series with crushing 179-run win

Bangladesh ended their streak of four consecutive ODI series defeats in emphatic fashion, crushing the West Indies by 179 runs in the series-deciding third match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. The victory sealed a 2-1 series win -- the Tigers' first bilateral ODI triumph since beating Sri Lanka at home in March 2024 -- and also marked Mehidy Hasan Miraz's maiden series win as captain.

After openers Soumya Sarkar and Saif Hassan set the tone with a record partnership, the spinners took centre stage as Bangladesh bundled out the visitors for just 117 in 30.1 overs while defending 296 for 8. Remarkably, all 10 West Indies wickets fell to spin, with the Tigers not needing to call upon their lone pacer, Mustafizur Rahman.

Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed led the way with figures of 3 for 11, while leg-spinner Rishad Hossain claimed 3 for 54. Tanvir Islam (2-16) and captain Mehidy (2-35) took two apiece as the hosts completely dismantled the West Indies batting lineup. Akeal Hosein offered the only late resistance with a 15-ball 27. The 179-run margin is now Bangladesh's second-biggest win in ODIs -- just four runs shy of their 183-run victory over Ireland in Sylhet in 2023 -- and their largest ever against the West Indies.

Earlier, openers Soumya and Saif gave Bangladesh a blistering start after Mehidy opted to bat first on a slow, turning surface. The pair added 176 off 152 balls -- the Tigers' highest opening stand in Mirpur and their biggest against the West Indies. The previous best at the venue was 150 by Imrul Kayes and Anamul Haque against Pakistan in 2014, while the earlier record against the Windies stood at 144 between Tamim Iqbal and Soumya in Dublin in 2019.

Soumya fell agonisingly short of a hundred, scoring 91 off 86 balls with seven fours and four sixes, while Saif struck his maiden ODI fifty, making 80 off 72 balls featuring six fours and six maximums. The stand also ended Bangladesh's long drought of century opening partnerships -- the first in 45 ODI innings since Tamim and Liton Das's unbeaten 102-run stand against Ireland in March 2023.

After the openers' dismissal, Towhid Hridoy (28) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (44) steadied the innings with a 50-run stand for the fourth wicket. However, a late collapse saw Bangladesh lose four wickets in 15 deliveries from the 44th over onwards. Alick Athanaze removed Shanto with a brilliant diving catch off his own bowling, while Akeal Hosein picked up three quick wickets in the same spell.

Cameos from Nurul Hasan Sohan (16 off 8) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (17 off 17) helped Bangladesh close at 296 for 8 -- a total that proved far beyond West Indies' reach on a spin-friendly track.

Nasum, Tanvir put Tigers on top in series decider against West Indies 

Bangladesh's left-arm spinners took control as the duo of Nasum Ahmed and Tanvir Islam accounted for four wicket between them to reduce the West Indies to --4 after 15 overs while defending a 296-run total in the series-decider of the three-match series in Mirpur on Thursday. 

Nasum made major inroads into the Windies lineup, dismantling the top three --Alick Athanaze (15 off 21) , Brandon King (18 off 17), and Ackeem Auguste (0) -- inside the Powerplay. Tanvir the  got in on the act to dismiss skipper Shai Hope (4 off 16) cheaply.