Bangladesh level T20 series
A fiery fifty from Tamim Iqbal and an all-round performance from captain Shakib Al Hasan led Bangladesh to a 12-run win over West Indies in the second T20 in Florida on Sunday.
The win levelled the series 1-1, after the Windies team had won the first game thanks to the D/L method.
Winning the toss, West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite invited the Tigers to bat first.
Ashley Nurse struck twice in his first two overs as opener Liton Das (1) and one-down Mushfiqur Rahim (4) fell cheaply while Soumya Sarkar (14) was removed by Teemo Paul soon afterwards to leave the visitors on 48 for 3.
Tamim and Shakib now made 90 in the fourth wicket to take the Tigers to a fighting score.
The former hit six fours and four sixes to hit 74 in just 44 balls while Shakib hammered 60 off 38 deliveries courtesy of nine fours and a six.
Mahmudullah added 13 off 10 at the end to take the Tigers to 171 for 5 in their 20 overs.
When the Windies started their chase, speedster Mustafizur Rahman was quick to unsettle the Caribbean, first getting an out of form Evin Lewis (1) in the second over and then having the ever dangerous Andre Russell (17 off 10) caught behind in the fourth over.
Shakib Al Hasan now joined the party by sending Marlon Samuels back to the pavilion and although Andre Fletcher and Rovman Powell added 58 in the fifth wicket, Shakib, Mustafiz and Nazmul Islam combined to wreak havoc.
Fletcher and Powell both hit 43, but when Brathwaite (11) failed to make it big after the duo’s fall, the Tigers were certain to net a win.
Nurse took 16 off the 19th over bowled by Mustafiz, in an over the paceman put an end to Powell, leaving the Windies to need 15 off the last over.
Nazmul did not give them a chance, striking twice more and conceding only two runs to send the Bangladesh supporters in Florida into ecstasy.
Tamim was later adjudged the man-of-the-match for his brilliant knock. Bangladesh bounced back with a resounding ODI series win after humiliating defeats in the Tests, but they are one win away from finishing on a high.
The final T20 will be played tomorrow, at the same venue.
