|| CF Correspondent ||

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza produced a remarkable performance to mark his 200th ODI as Bangladesh recorded a five-wicket win over West Indies in the three-match one-day series opener yesterday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Mashrafe led the side from the front, claiming 3-30 to strangle West Indies on a sluggish wicket from which they couldn’t escape and eventually were restricted to 195-9. The batsmen made it one-way traffic, with Mushfiqur Rahim struck 70 ball-55 not out to help the side chase it down with 89 balls to spare.

Mashrafe’s economical bowling figure and the impact of his bowling in the match earned his the man of the match award.

The ODI captain wreaked havoc on West Indies top order after which pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman cleaned up the tail in a display of off cutter and slower cutter- his stock weapon that earned him the nick name of ‘Cutter Master.’

Mustafizur also ended up with 3-35, including two wickets in the last over, that effectively prevented West Indies from going past 200 runs.

Pace bowler Rubel Hossain, left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan and off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraj all picked up one wicket apiece.

"Variations helped a lot," Mashrafe said. "Our bowlers bowled in right areas, they were quite disciplined. But in the last five overs, we leaked some runs.”

Bangladesh conceded 66 runs in the last 10 overs, which helped the visitors to give their bowlers something to fight for. Keemo Paul was the chief destroyer, smashing a 28 ball-36, including one four and two sixes, one of which hit the sightscreen.

However the highest scorer of West Indies was opener Shai Hope (43), who gave the visitors hope with his tranquility in the pitch after Rovman Powell won the toss and opted to bat first.

It looked to be a right decision until Shakib Al Hasan produced a beauty to get the better of Keiran Powell for 10 for the third straight time in the series (twice in second Test). Darren Bravo, playing his first match in two years, survived twice, before Tamim Iqbal sprinted towards from deep-midwicket and dived his forward to hold on a tough catch. Tamim’s blinder gave Mashrafe his first wicket in his 200th match, ending Bravo’s struggling 19.

With the wicket offered variable bounce and the balls kept low, patience was key. Most of the West Indies batsmen got the start but couldn’t carry on it, largely due to the Bangladesh bowlers’ disciplined attack.

The defining wicket of the match was Hope’s as Mashrafe had him caught by Mehidy at point on 43.  Mehidy then got dangerman Shimron Hetmyer (6) with one that kept extremely low while Rubel Hossain removed Marlon Samuels (25) who perished to a rash shot.

With 127 for six, Roston Chase and Keemo Paul combined for a 51-run for the seventh wicket to raise hopes for the visitors. As the partnership looked threatening, Mustafizur ended Chase’s vigilance, after he scored 32 off 38.