GUYANA: Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam picked up his maiden five-wicket haul as the visitors defeated the West Indies by four wickets to make a clean sweep of the three-match One-day International series at the Guyana National Stadium on Sunday (IST).
Spin was once again the dominating factor for both sides as West Indies' left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie too grabbed a career-best 4/23 in his 10 overs but that was not enough for the hosts to earn a consolation win as the batters failed to come to grips with Islam's spin.
It may have been Islam's first game of the series, but the 30-year-old came up with an eye-catching performance of 5/28 and the 'Player of the Match' award.
The hosts could manage just 178 in 48.4 overs with only skipper Nicholas Pooran able to negotiate the Bangladeshi slow bowlers, scoring a patient 73 (109 balls). In reply, top-order batter Litton Das scored a half-century as Bangladesh completed the run-chase in 48.3 overs.
Earlier, it was big wickets that Islam picked up, with the spinner dismissing openers Brandon King (8) and Shai Hope (2) during a superb opening spell and then returning later to claim middle-order batters Rovman Powell (18), Keemo Paul (6) and Nicholas Pooran (73).
The West Indies needed to show some fight with the bat and skipper Pooran did just that with his superb half century, his ninth in ODIs.
Action will now move to Trinidad where West Indies' next assignment will be against India, in the three-match ODI series.
Brief scores: West Indies 178 in 48.4 overs (Nicholas Pooran 73; Taijul Islam 5/28) lost to Bangladesh 179/6 in 48.3 overs (Tamim Iqbal 34, Litton Das 50; Gudakesh Motie 4/23) by four wickets. IANS
Also Watch: