Soumya Sarkar and Mosaddek Hossain hit brilliant fifties as Bangladesh ended their title drought in multi-team event with a crushing five-wicket win over West Indies in the rain-hit tri-series final in Dublin on Friday.
Soumya struck 61 off 41 balls to set up the chase before Mosaddek hit an unbeaten 52 off 24 balls, guiding Bangladesh to 213-5 in 22.5 overs after they were set up a target of 210 runs in 24 overs.
West Indies were on top reaching 131-0 when rain stopped the play but could add only 21 runs in 23 balls after the play resumed following a five-hour break at the Malahide Cricket Club Ground.
Needing nearly nine runs per over, Bangladesh got off to flying start as Soumya and Tamim put 59 runs in 5.3 overs before West Indies had their first breakthrough.
Shannon Gabriel dismissed Tamim for 18 off 13 balls after the opener was dropped by Ashley Nurse on four off Kemar Roach.
Sabbir Rahman, who was promoted in one-down position in the absence of injured Sakib al Hasan, fell to Gabriel for a duck in the same over leaving Bangladesh reduced to 60-2 in six overs.
But Soumya and Mushfiqur Rahim did not let Bangladesh realise the damage, helping the side cross 100-run mark in little over 10 overs – the quickest in their ODI history.
Soumya mistimed one off rookie left-arm pacer Raymon Reifer to give a catch to substitute Sheldon Cottrell at long off after hitting nine fours and three sixes in his third fifty in as many matches of the tournament.
Mushfiq showed a great improvisation to keep the momentum going but his leg-before dismissal to Reifer for 36 off 22 balls and the fall of Mohammad Mithun for 17 off 14 balls to Fabien Allen briefly halted the momentum for Bangladesh.
But Mosaddek chose the game to show his worth in the team, first staving off a collapse and then taking on Allen in the 22nd over to hit three sixes and a four to score 25 runs in alone.
Mahmudullah, who was unbeaten 19 off 21 balls, completed the win with four off Reifer after Mosaddek reached second ODI fifty in 20 balls – the fastest in Bangladesh’s history.
His innings now enabled Bangladesh to end their final jinx in multi-team event in seventh attempt after they wasted six previous opportunities – some only by a whisker.
The victory did not come in the easiest manner as it might have seemed after Shai Hope and Sunil Ambris punished Bangladeshi bowlers with disdain sent into the bat first.
Hope was dismissed by Mehedi Hasan after the rain break but not before the in-form opener making 74 off 64. Ambris continued his good work with bat to stay unbeaten 69 off 78 balls, helping West Indies set up a daunting task for Bangladesh.
-With New Age input
