Rahim Leads Bangladesh To Stunning Victory

Rahim Leads Bangladesh To Stunning Victory

Mushfiqur Rahim's first game as full-time Bangladesh captain ended with a fine win as he hit the penultimate delivery for six

©REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (BANGLADESH - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Bangladesh 135-7 (Mushfiqur Rahim 41no) beat
West Indies 132-8 (Samuels 58) by 3 wickets
First Twenty20 International, Dhaka
Scorecard

Mushfiqur Rahim began life as Bangladesh captain by hitting the penultimate ball of the Twenty20 International against the West Indies for six to win a low-scoring game by three wickets.

He had been left under pressure as the first four balls of Ravi Rampaul's over had leaked just two runs and removed Nasir Hossain, but Rahim held his nerve to hand Bangladesh a rare series win.

He finished unbeaten on 41 in 26 balls as his side reached 135 for seven in response to the West Indies' 132 for eight - a score set up by Marlon Samuels' knock of 58 in 42 balls.

Samuels, who hit a century in a warm-up win over a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI, hit two fours and four sixes as he built on a strong foundation laid by openers Lendl Simmons (23) and Adrian Barath (15) after Rahim won the toss and chose to field first.

However, only Denesh Ramdin, who made ten not out, could join those three players in making double figures as Bangladesh hit back  with Andre Russell (5), Darren Bravo (7), Danza Hyatt (2), Darren Sammy (1) and Carlos Brathwaite (1) all falling for single-figure scores.

Left-arm spinners Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan both returned two wickets, as did pacer Shafiul Islam while Rubel Hossain and Naeem Islam also grabbed a wicket.

Bangladesh's top three of Tamim Iqbal (11), Imrul Kayes (22) and Mohammad Ashraful (24) then gave them a decent start before all three fell in qucikquick succession and the cheap dismissals of Shakib (0) and Alok Kapali (2) - the latter a maiden wicket for debutant Brathwaite - left the home side in trouble at 71 for five.

Rahim then added 22 for the sixth wicket with Naeem (10) to get his side back on track and when Naeem was bowled by Sammy, Nasir Hossain took the game down to the wire by hitting a priceless 18 in 15 deliveries as the penultimate over delivered by Brathwaite went for 14.

Rampaul, charged with defending six in six balls, bowled a dot ball to Rahim before allowing a single and then dismissing Nasir, who was caught by Ramdin.

Razzak then picked up a vital single to get Rahim back on strike and he did the rest by lifting Rampaul over the boundary at deep midwicket for his second maximum of the day.

The two sides play the first of three One-Day Internationals on 13th October in Mirpur.

© Cricket World 2011