Superb Hope ton stuns Tigers

Hope hit a career-best 146 off 144 balls, studded with 12 fours and three sixes. Photo: AFP
Hope hit a career-best 146 off 144 balls, studded with 12 fours and three sixes. Photo: AFP

Opener Shai Hope scored a magnificent century to help West Indies beat Bangladesh by four wickets in the second ODI on Tuesday, a win that levelled the three-game series 1-1.

The batsman hit a career-best 146 off 144 balls, studded with 12 fours and three sixes, to deny the home side a win that looked an easy job after the Tigers had posted 255 for 5 batting first.

Bangladesh started their defence brightly, as Mehidy Hasan Miraz trapped Chandrapaul Hemraj leg before in the second over. Hope then put up 65 in the second wicket with Darren Bravo (27) before he was bowled by Rubel Hossain and 62 more in the third wicket with Marlon Samuels (26), who was caught behind in a Mustafizur Rahman delivery.

Captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Rubel and Mustafiz then struck once each in quick succession and West Indies were facing an uphill task with six wickets down on 185.

Man-of-the-Match Hope fought valiantly now, and with 18 priceless runs from Keemo Paul, steered the team to the win. The three fours he hit in the 49th over bowled by Mustafiz was the key, so were the catches dropped by the Bangladesh fielders.

It was a special game for the hosts, who had five of its senior players—Mashrafe, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah—playing their 100th game together, but sadly they had to return home with a loss.

Batting first, fifties from three of them—Tamim, Mushfiqur and Shakib—led Bangladesh to a decent total of 255.

Opener Liton Das was retired hurt on five while one-down Imrul Kayes failed to manage a single run, but Tamim and Mushfiq then added 111 runs to put Bangladesh in control.

Tamim departed just after reaching his fifty, made with four fours and a six, while Mushfiq soon followed him to the pavillion after scoring 62 in 80 balls, courtesy of five fours.

Shakib and Mahmudullah (30) now added 61 to take the team further. Shakib was the highest-scorer, slamming six fours and a six in his 62-ball 65-run innings

Liton had to leave the field as an Oshane Thomas delivery hurt his ankle, but returning to bat again he could only add three more.

Thomas was the most successful bowler for the visitors, bagging three, while Kemar Roach, Keemo Paul, Devendra Bishoo and captain Rovman Powell claimed one apiece. 

Powell won the second successive toss, but opted to field first today after choosing to bat in the first game, and it probably had worked for them. 

The teams play the final ODI in Sylhet on Friday.