Bangladesh stretch West Indies to day five

A better second innings batting effort by Bangladesh extended the first test of the Dhaka Bank series to day five, here at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

Asked to follow on, trailing by 302 runs, the Bangladeshis, aided by some buttery fingers on the part of the West Indies fielders, saw them to 256 for 5 at the close of day four yesterday.{{more}}

Bangladesh needs another 46 runs to make the West Indies bat again.

A fifth wicket partnership of 130 between Mahmudullah and captain Mushtiqur Rahim, pulled Bangladesh from 107 for 4, when Tamin Iqbal had his stumps disturbed by left arm spinner Sulieman Benn, to 237.

The stand was broken when Mahmudullah became fast bowler Kemar Roach’s second victim, caught by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin for 66.

Mahmudullah struck seven fours and one six in his innings, which lasted 151 balls.

Rahim has so far crafted 70 not out, with eight fours to the good.

But both Mahmudullah and Rahim were the beneficiaries of dropped catches. The culprits were Chris Gayle, Darren Bravo and Kirk Edwards.

Rahim was floored by Gayle twice, on 10 and 25, and later by Bravo. Edwards dropped Mahmudullah after Gayle had induced the batsman to sky the ball.

Bangladesh began shakily to erase the deficit in the first instance, when they lost Shamsur Rahman at the score on 11, then Imrul Kayes at the score on 81.

Wickets numbers three and four went on 104, with the West Indies sniffing an early day’s work before Mahmudullah and Rahim made their timely intervention.

Roach has so far 2 for 39 and Benn 2 for 44, with Gayle pocketing the other.

The West Indies was in high command when Benn had wrecked the Bangladeshis’ first innings, as they plummeted to 182 all out, as he claimed 5 for 39.

Jermaine Blackwood, playing in only his second test, would never forget last Sunday at the Arnos Vale venue, as he earned 2 for 14, with his uncomplicated off-breaks.

Haque top scored for the visitors with 51; Rahim was left not out on 48, while Rahman compiled 35 at the top of the order.

This was in response to the West Indies’ 484 for 7 declared.

Kraigg Braithwaite inked his name in the annals of test cricket at Arnos Vale, registering the first double century at the venue.

The 21-year-old right-handed opening batsman scored 212, in a long vigil at the crease. His innings spanned 554 minutes, in which he faced 447 balls, counting 14 fours in the process.

Braithwaite established century stands with Gayle, Bravo and veteran left-handed batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Braithwaite and Gayle put on 116 for the first wicket, with Gayle making 64. He and Bravo added 117 for the second. Bravo struck 62.

The other triple figure partnership produced 161 for the fourth wicket with Chanderpaul, who ended on 85 not out.

It was the 47th time that Chanderpaul was left not out, making him the person to be ‘not out’ the most in test cricket by a top order batsman, eclipsing Steve Waugh’s record of 46.

Chanderpaul’s playing in his 157th test made him the most capped left handed batsman.

Before him another Australian, Alan Border, held the stake.

Amidst the batting marathon by the West Indies, debutant left arm spinner Taijul Islam bagged 5 for 135 for Bangladesh.

West Indies’ aim today, on the final day of the test, is to dismiss the five remaining Bangladeshis cheaply and proceed to their first test win at Arnos Vale.

In July 2009, the last occasion both teams met at Arnos Vale, Bangladesh trumped by 95, against a depleted West Indies outfit.