Shai Hope continued his rich vein of form in the shortest format as well. Chasing a meagre 130, he went all guns blazing and blasted 55 off 33, the third-fasted fifty in the format. However, before Hope took the centre stage, it was Sheldon Cottrell’s pace bowling that had ground Bangladesh to the Sylhet dust. He was awarded Player of the Match for his spectacular bowling figures of 4-0-28-4.
Barring Shakib Al Hasan, no Bangladeshi batter could find his feet. Four of the top five batters scored in single digit, falling prey to Cottrell’s short bowling. Mahmudullah (12) and Ariful Haque (17) tried to rebuild the innings with Shakib, but Windies continued striking at regular intervals. So disastrous was Bangladesh’s innings that 61 of 129 came off Shakib’s bat.
Kemo Paul took 2 wickets for 23, while Oshane Thomas, Fabian Allen, and Carlos Brathwaite took a wicket apiece.
Windies did not waste time accumulating the target. The devastating Evin Lewis and the in-form Hope dented the home side’s confidence with attacking strokes. Although Lewis went for 18, Hope made sure that he further demolishes Bangladesh. Nicholas Puran (23*) and Paul (28*) took Windies over the line after Hope perished.
