West Indies revive semis hopes

Impressive bowling helps holders beat hosts Bangaldesh by 73 runs and bounce back from their defeat against India.

West Indies bowled and fielded much better than the hosts to end up eventual winners [AFP]

A dominant West Indies thumped a sorry Bangladesh by 73 runs in a lop-sided Super 10 stage match to revive their World Twenty20 title defence.

Put into bat, Dwayne Smith (72) dominated a 97-run opening stand with Chris Gayle (48) to help West Indies to a strong 171 for seven before they returned to destroy the hosts for 98 and bounce back after Sunday’s defeat against India.

Bangladesh, who have failed to impress so far in the tournament, stumbled early in their chase after Krishmar Santokie’s (3-17) double strikes reduced them to 16 for three in the fourth over. Samuel Badree (4-15) then claimed three wickets in one over to wreck the hosts and Bangladesh eventually folded in 19.1 overs in front of their dejected fans at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium.

Earlier, Gayle looked uncharacteristically subdued but his opening partner Smith was fluent at the other end, hitting off-spinner Sohag Gazi for four successive boundaries to bring up his half-century. Even his top edge cleared the mid-wicket boundary for his third six before Smith fell in the next ball, attempting a similar shot off spinner Mahmudullah.

Gayle, then on 19 off 27 balls, went on to hit Shakib Al Hasan for a six and four in the same over but could not provide the late assault and fell after a run-a-ball knock.

West Indies had the perfect platform to launch a late assault but they lost wickets in a heap towards the end, including four in the last over, to fall short of the 175-mark.

Source: Reuters