By Tony Becca, Contributing EditorTHE WEST Indies defeated Bangladesh by an impressive innings and 99 runs at Sabina Park yesterday.
Paced by left-arm pace bowler Pedro Collins with career-best figures of six for 53 off 18 overs and offspinner Omari Banks with two for 40 off 13, the Windies, after removing Bangladesh for 284 and then chipping to 559 for four declared, dismissed the visitors for 176.
The end came 13 minutes after lunch when Mohammad Ashraful, batting at number six, drove vice-captain and part-time right-arm legspinner Ramnaresh Sarwan to captain Brian Lara at mid-wicket.
Resuming at 66 for three off 20 overs, Bangladesh, to the delight of the small home crowd, lost their remaining seven wickets in 133 minutes and 30 overs for the addition of 110 runs in a sudden and dramatic collapse that saw all seven crashing for 22 runs in 47 minutes off 11 overs.
Like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, the West Indies, after failing to get a wicket in 29 overs during which Habibul Bashar and Manjural Islam Rana added 120 for the fourth wicket, grabbed the first two wickets with successive deliveries, the first three for no runs in seven minutes and six deliveries, and the first four for one run in 13 minutes and nine deliveries.
Barbadian Collins, starting with two for 17 overnight and bowling from the north after a few overs from the south, picked up four for four in 24 almost perfectly pitched deliveries.
With captain Bashar and Islam Rana - 29 and seven respectively overnight - looking comfortable on the easy-paced pitch and stroking the ball confidently, Lara, after starting with fast bowler Tino Best from the north and Banks from the south, used five bowlers in the first 15 overs and changed them around in an attempt to find the right combination and the right end.
Finally, with Bangladesh moving to 146 for three after 83 minutes and 20 overs into the morning's play, Lara brought on Banks, again from the south, to join Collins.
In his first over Banks picked up a wicket and suddenly Bangladesh were on the skids.
After welcoming the return of Banks by smashing him over long-on for six, the left-handed Islam Rana went back, cut the last ball of the over straight to Lara at backward point and was gone for 35 at 154 for four.
With the first delivery of the following over, Collins made it 154 for five when Bashar went back and was plumb leg before wicket for 77. Four deliveries later it was 154 for six when Mushfiqur Rahman drove at Collins and edged an away swinger to Dwayne Smith at gully.
With the sound of their theme song, "Rally 'round the West Indies" blasting out from the Red Stripe Mound and victory in sight, the West Indies piled on the pressure.
With five fielders around the bat, with Banks spinning the ball and dropping it on a good length Khaled Mashud, in an obvious attempt not to surrender meekly, drove at the offspinner and handed Sarwan a comfortable catch at mid-wicket at 155 for seven.
It became 161 for eight when Collins rocked back Mohammad Rafique's offstump with a beauty; and it was 165 for nine in the 47th over when Tapash Baisya drove at Collins and tapped a catch to Sarwan at mid-off.
With two sessions and one day to go, with victory just one wicket away, the West Indies rested Collins after lunch, brought in Sarwan, and with Banks failing to do so in two overs, Sarwan, the Man of the Match and the Man of the Series, wrapped up the proceedings when he tempted the usually patient Ashraful to go for a big hit.
