West Indies lost the three-match CG United T20 International series to Bangladesh, falling by 27 runs in front of another bumper crowd at Arnos Vale in St Vincent and the Grenadines on Tuesday.
Heading into the fixture, the Men in Maroon named an unchanged lineup from their defeat to the same opposition on Sunday. Interestingly, Bangladesh have won more T20 fixtures at this venue than the West Indies, making better use of its unpredictable conditions.
The regional side won the toss and opted to bowl first again, mirroring their decision in the opening game. Teams who chase at this venue rarely win, making the choice as surprising as it was in the first encounter. Early signs that the pitch favoured spin bowling were evident, as sustained pressure from Akeal Hosein led to the early dismissal of captain Litton Das, who was stumped. Roston Chase followed up with the wicket of Tanzid Hasan, bowled. The visitors finished the powerplay overs at a modest 29-2.
A rain delay briefly threatened to disrupt the Windies’ momentum but that was short-lived. The continuous loss of wickets left Bangladesh relying on a gutsy knock to post a competitive total. Shamim Hossain delivered, smashing 35 off 17 deliveries to lift the visitors to a total of 129-7.
Low scores have often been successfully defended at Arnos Vale. In fact, a chasing team had not won at the venue since 2013. Two wickets in a Taskin Ahmed over—removing Brandon King and Andre Fletcher, both caught behind—created early concerns for the Windies’ dressing room. Saint Lucian Johnson Charles and Nicholas Pooran also fell shortly after, leaving the West Indies struggling at 32-4 after the powerplay.
The only glimmer of hope for the Windies were the exploits of Akeal Hosein and Roston Chase, who steadied the innings with a 47-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Their efforts took the game into the final overs, sparking hope that the Windies’ lower order could pull off a recovery. However, it was not to be. The Tigers maintained their exceptional bowling performance, stifling the West Indies’ reply and bowling them out for 102. This match marked the lowest-ever aggregate total in a T20 International between the two teams.
With one game left in the series on Thursday, the Men in Maroon will need to deliver a stronger performance to finish what has otherwise been a generally positive year in the shortest format of the game.
