Bangladesh Spin Themselves Into Strong Position

Bangladesh Spin Themselves Into Strong Position

Travis Dowlin (right) drives through the off side during his innings.

©Brookes La Touche Photography / Digicelcricket.com

West Indies 237 (Dowlin 95, Mahmudullah 3-44) v
Bangladesh 35-1 (Tamim Iqbal 14no)
Scorecard
Second Test, Grenada, day one: stumps

Bangladesh justified selecting just two pace bowlers for their second Test against the West Indies in Grenada as nine of ten wickets fell to spin as the home side were bowled out for 237.

Bangladesh, 1-0 up in the series, then closed the opening day's play at St. Georges on 35 for one having lost opener Imrul Kayes for 14 when he edged Darren Sammy to wicket-keeper Chadwick Walton.

With Mashrafe Mortaza not fit to play, Shakib Al Hasan took the captaincy role and Bangladesh picked pace bowlers Rubel Hossain and Shahadat Hossain with captain Shakib, Mortaza's replacement left-am spinner Enamul Haque, and all-rounder Mahmudullah, all spinners, as the other specialist bowlers.

The West Indies left out Nikita Miller to accommodate all-rounder Ryan Hinds but he made just two runs before becoming one of Mahmudullah's three victims.

Rubel and Shahadat bowled 15 of 76.1 overs between them, the only wicket to pace bowling coming when Ryan Austin (19) stepped on his wicket to gift Shahadat a scalp.

Opening batsmen Dale Richards, who made 69, and Omar Phillips, who hit 23, tore into the quick bowling early on, leading Shakib to bring himself on as early as the seventh over and from there Bangladesh didn't look back.

He, Mahmudullah and Enamul all took three wickets apiece with Travis Dowlin the last man to fall having compiled a steady 95 from 162 balls, caught at cover trying to reach a century before he ran out of partners.

David Bernard (17) was the only other batsman to reach double figures as Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Ashraful grabbed a couple of catches apiece.

Tamim was unbeaten at stumps on 14 with nightwatchman Enamul on five.

The West Indies side is without its major stars due to a contract dispute.

© Cricket World 2009

Get the latest from Cricket World® with Facebook, twitter and YouTube.