ST JOHN’S – Veteran fast bowler Kemar Roach and his protege Jayden Seales grabbed three wickets apiece to put the West Indies in prime position to push for victory against Bangladesh on an eventful, penultimate day in the first Test match that saw 17 wickets fall in Antigua, on Monday.
Roach and Seales’ performances made up for a poor second-innings batting performance by the Windies and overshadowed a spectacular showing by Bangladesh’s fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who grabbed a career-best six-wicket haul.
After the visitors surprisingly declared on their overnight total of 269 for nine to concede a first-innings lead of 181 runs, Ahmed then snared 6-64 to rout the West Indies for just 152 to give Bangladesh a slim chance of pulling off a come-from-behind win.
However, in pursuit of 334, Roach and Seales all but bowled the home side to victory by restricting their opponents to 109 for seven, before bad light ended play early on Monday’s penultimate day.
Now in the twilight of his career, the 36-year-old Roach gave the West Indies the perfect start when the fifth ball of the innings to Zakir Hasn deflected off the inside of his bat and crashed into the stumps with only one run on the board.
Seales then increased the pressure by having Mahmudul Hasan Joy caught at third slip by Justin Greaves after the opener played at a wide delivery away from his body to leave Bangladesh seven for two.
Roach claimed his second wicket on review after umpire Kumar Dharmasena had initially given Shahadat Hossain not out following a caught-behind appeal.
However, the replay showed that the ball had brushed Hossain’s glove on the way through to the wicketkeeper to see the visitors slide further into trouble at 20 for three.
Pacer Shamar Joseph was then unlucky not to have dismissed Mominul Haque on two occasions in the same over.
First, wicketkeeper Joshua DaSilva spilled a difficult chance diving to the leg side, and with his very night delivery, Mikyle Louis put down an easy catch at gully.
The missed chances did not prove costly, though, as Roach completed a stunning return catch in the next over to account for Haque after he scored 11, to leave the visitors in dire straits at 23 for four.
Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Litton Das tried to rebuild the innings in a 36-run stand until Shamar Joseph was deservingly awarded when he enticed Das to pull a delivery straight into the hands of Alzarri Joseph at deep backward square.
Miraz and Jaker Ali frustrated the West Indies during a 43-run partnership that carried the visitors past the 100-run mark.
But shortly after doing so, Miraz flirted with a ball outside off stump and was brilliantly caught by a diving DaSilva off the bowling of Seales for a well-played 45 from 46 balls.
Seales then clean bowled Taijul Islam for four, to give the West Indies hope of ending the match on the fourth day with the score on 108 for seven, before bad light eventually had the final say.
Roach has so far taken 3-20, while Seales finished with 3-31.
Earlier, Ahmed led a Bangladesh fightback with a classy spell of pace bowling.
Ahmed had both Mikyle Louis and Keacy Carty caught behind the wicket, while Shoriful Islam dismissed West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite for 23 to make the score 39 for three.
Ahmed also accounted for the wickets of Kavem Hodge for 15, and first-innings centurion Justin Greaves for two, before returning to wrap up the tail by taking the last two wickets of Shamar Joseph and Kemar Roach, to leave the match interestingly poised heading into the final session.
Scores
WEST INDIES 450-9 dec and 152 in 46.1 overs (Alick Athanaze 42, Kraigg Brathwaite 23, Joshua DaSilva 22, Alzarri Joseph 17, Kavem Hodge 15, Kemar Roach 12; Taskin Ahmed 6-64, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2-31).
BANGLADESH 269-9 dec and 109-7 in 31 overs (Mehidy Hasan Miraz 45, Litton Das 22, Jaker Ali 15 not out, Mominul Haque 11; Kemar Roach 3-20, Jayden Seales 3-31).
CMC
