|| CF Correspondent ||

A ruthless Bangladesh sealed the three-match ODI series by 2-1, securing a crushing eight-wicket win over West Indies in the series-deciding third game on Friday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz engineered the victory with his career best 4/29, trumping the second sucessive century of Shai Hope, who was cut above the rest of the West Indies batsmen with more than 50 percent of his side’s total.

Bangladesh, however, clinched their third straight ODI series this year by virtue of this victory.

West Indies collapsed around Hope’s century, who carried the bat throughout the innings for his fourth ton to steer the side to 198/9. Bangladesh made it one-way traffic as opener Tamim Iqbal struck 81 not out and Soumya Sarkar smashed 80 to send a winning reply to a target of 199, making 202/2 in just 38.3 overs.

Hope, who followed his career best 146 not out to single-handedly drive the side to five-wicket victory in second game, was the only shining spot with 131-ball 108 not out, hitting nine fours and one six.

The next best was Marlon Samuels’ 19 and 16 runs came from sundries. Only four batsmen, including those two could reach double digit figure in the do-or-die clash as they were eying to seal their first ever bilateral series win since their victory against Bangladesh at home in 2014.

Mehidy proved skipper Mashrafe Mortaza’s decision to bowl first right in the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, which made its ODI debut with the match, giving a breakthrough in the fourth over with the wicket of Chandrapaul Hemraj.

Hemraj cut a delivery, that kept low, to point for 9 but it appeared West Indies took control through Hope and Darren Bravo (10).

Mehidy again broke through, dismissing Bravo, when the partnership was growing with confidence.

Bangladesh bowlers remained disciplined on a sluggish wicket, stemming the run flow albeit Hope seemed to play on a different wicket.

However, paceman Mohammad Saiffudin rattled the stump of Samuels (19) with an off-cutter before Mehidy dealt a double blow, dismissing Shimron Hetmyer (0) for the sixth time (the two-Test series included) in seven innings and Rovman Powell (1), leaving West Indies at 99/5.

Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan (2/40) and skipper Mashrafe Mortaza (2/34), who potentially played his last home match, strangled West Indies. Mashrafe, who is just playing ODI format, hinted at retirement after the 2019 World Cup and no ODI matches of Bangladesh are scheduled at home before the showpiece event.

Hope cleared long-off even with a mistimed shot for his back-to-back century off 121 balls but Mortaza and Shakib denied his side going past 200.

Bangladesh were never in trouble in pursuit of the total as Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das gave the side a solid start before the latter perished to a loose shot for 23.

West Indies’ problem compounded when its fast bowler Kemar Roach left the field with hamstring injury while wicket-keeper Shai Hope was replaced by Shimron Hetmyer after a blow on his shoulder.

But Tamim and Soumya combined for a 131-run to lay a platform of the comprehensive victory. Fast bowler Keemo Paul took the wicket of Soumya after he clobbered five fours and as many sixes in his 81-ball knock, with Bangladesh 23 runs away from the victory.

Tamim completed the inevitable, aided by Mushfiqur Rahim's 16 not out, with two successive boundaries through third man and short third man.