Windies ride Hope show to post 321/8 against Bangaldesh

Shai Hope missed out on a hundred as West Indies failed to capitalise further on their good start to post 321/8 in 50 overs against Bangladesh in their World Cup clash on Monday. Hope scored 96 off 121 balls with the help of four fours and one six as he anchored the Windies' batting. But the highly-rated 25-year old holed out to Liton Das at deep backward square off Mustafizur Rahman who returned best figures of 3/59 in nine overs.

Mohammad Saifuddin (3/72) also nabbed three wickets while all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan picked up two wickets.

Windies, who were 243/5 at the end of 40 overs, could not get going in the last 10 as Mustafizur bowled a probing line and also got the wickets of Shimron Hetymer (50 off 26b; 4x4 3x6), Andre Russell (0) and Hope to dent Windies' surge.

Besides Hope, opener Evin Lewis scored 70 off 67 balls (6x4 2x6) while Jason Holder (33 off 15b; 4x4, 2x6) and Darren Bravo (19 off 15b; 2x6) played cameos.

The Windies lost Chris Gayle early, the veteran opener getting caught behind trying to poke at a Saifuddin away-going delivery. Gayle could not get off the mark after 13 balls, going for a duck for the second time in four matches against Bangladesh in the World Cup.

Lewis and Hope then joined hands for a 116-run stand for the second wicket to lay the foundation for a good total. In dire need of a wicket, Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza gave the ball to Shakib and the star all-rounder did not disappoint, removing Lewis who was caught at long-off by substitute Sabbir Rahman.

Shakib also got rid of Nicholas Pooran (25) who picked out Soumya Sarkar long-on. It was the Hetymer show then for a brief period, as the hard-hitting batsman smashed the Bangla bowlers all around the park and took advantage of the small boundaries.

Along with Hope, Hetymer shared an 83-run partnership for the fourth wicket and completed his fifty in just 25 balls. But the 22-year old fell just after completing his third ODI fifty with Tamim Iqbal running in from deep mid-wicket to take a brilliant catch at full stretch in front of him off Mustafizur.

Andre Russell (0) lasted just two balls before getting caught behind to give Mustafizur his second wicket in the same 40th over. Hope, trying to up the ante, also got out to then leave Bravo to do all the hitting in the last few overs. He was clean-bowled by Saifuddin in the last ball of the innings but managed to hit two sixes.

Brief Scores: West Indies: 321/8 in 50 overs (Shai Hope 96, Evin Lewis 70, Shimron Hetmyer 50; Mustafizur Rahman 3/59, Mohammad Saifuddin 3/72)

--IANS

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