BAN vs WI, 3rd T20: West Indies clinch series 2-1, win decider by 50 runs

West Indies finally took possession of the T20 series after defeating Bangladesh by 50 runs in the last and third T20s to win the series 2-1.

The third T20 between Windies and Bangladesh was an exhilarating series decider, drama from the first ball and throughout the match. West Indies finally took possession of the T20 series after defeating Bangladesh by 50 runs in the last and third T20s to win the series 2-1.

After winning the toss, Bangladesh elected to bowl first in the 3rd T20I vs Bangladesh at the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. Evin Lewi walked on the field with some brutal intentions.

Keemo Paul dominated the Bangladesh batsmen in the entire game. He dismissed Mahmudullah (11 runs) in the fourth over and then cleared Liton Das to put Bangladesh in trouble. Liton scored 43 runs in 25 balls with three fours and three sixes. After this, the Bangladeshi lost its grip over the game despite having a good start.The entire team got all-out on 140 in the 17th over. For West Indies, Keemo Paul took 5 wickets, Allen 2, while Cottrell and Brathwaite took one wicket each.

Sent in to bat by Bangladesh, openers Lewis and Shai Hope put on 76 runs in just five overs for the visitors before left-arm spinner Shakib and pace bowler Mustafizur struck.

Evin Lewis punished Bangladeshi spinner Abu Hider for 4 sixes in an over to get the Windies off to a flying start in Dhaka with an 18-ball fifty. In the third T20I against Bangladesh, Windies managed to put a total of 88-runs for the loss of one wicket; thanks to both opening batsmen Evin Lewis and Shai Hope.

However, it was Mahmudullah who struck gold for Bangladesh by taking out the big man in 10th over. Lewis provided his side with a explosive start, he scored 89 off just 36 balls including 8 sixes and the one that went 107 metres back into the stands.

"I am very happy. We wanted to be aggressive and we wanted to be positive. In all three matches, we have batted really well," Brathwaite said.

Bangladesh skipper Shakib lamented their poor batting. "The way we came back with the ball was terrific. I think it was... (a) 180-run wicket. With the bat we were not sure how to go about our business," he said.

Mahmudullah, who finished with 3-18, trapped Shimron Hetmyer leg-before for a duck right after he bowled Lewis, slowing the West Indies scoring spree. Nicholas Pooran added 29 off 24 balls down the order but Bangladesh did well in the final overs to contain the tourists. The West Indies were 176-5 after 16 overs but lost their last five wickets for just 14 runs, folding in 19.2 overs.

 

Mustafizur Rahman claimed 3-33 and Shakib finished with 3-37 in the Bangladesh fightback. Bangladesh won the preceding Test series and one-day international series 2-0 and 2-1 respectively.

Controversy erupted during the third T20I in Mirpur after Liton Das had been caught off a no-ball, Oshane Thomas had been said to have over-stepped the mark. The umpire Tanvir Ahmed declared the delivery as a “no-ball”.

However, Windies skipper Carlos Brathwaite noticed in replay that Oshane Thomas had actually not overstepped the mark and so he decided to go for the review but he was told that the rules remain unclear on whether one can seek a review on such calls.

After a contentious issue out in the middle, even the match officials had to come out and the play stopped for nearly eight minutes.

After a conference on the boundary, Liton Das was given a life, and the next delivery was declared as a Free Hit, of which Soumya Sarkar ensured that it goes into the stands for a six. Luckily, Windies bowled out Bangladesh for 140 and win the last T20I by 50 runs to clinch the series 2-1.

Bangladesh vs Windies, 3rd T20I

Windies : 190/10 in 19.2 overs (Lewis 89, Pooran 29, Powell 19; Mahmudullah 3/18, Mustafizur 3/33, Shakib 3/37)

Bangladesh : 140/10 in 17 overs (Liton 43, Abu Hider 22*, Miraz 19; Paul 5/15, Allen 2/19, Cottrell 1/32)

Player of the Match : Evin Lewis.