Windies scrape home
Stabroek News
May 16, 2004

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(BBC) West Indies were indebted to their last-wicket pair after escaping with a one-wicket win in the first one-day international against Bangladesh.

The home side seemed to be cruising to victory in St Vincent at 119-4 before losing five wickets for 14 runs.

It was left to Ian Bradshaw (12 no) and Fidel Edwards (4no) to claim the last 12 runs required after Ricardo Powell's departure for 52 sparked a collapse.

Earlier Bangladesh made 144-8 in their 50 overs after recovering from 3-5.

The visitors almost snatched an incredible victory as Manzamul Islam claimed 3-21 off his 10 overs and Khaled Mahmoud weighed in with 2-15.

Stand-in captain Ramnaresh Sarwan scored 22 but with two run-outs the Windies seemed bent on self-destruction before their last pair seized the day.

Bradshaw, who also took 2-11 in the Bangladesh innings, was named man of the match.

Bangladesh lost two wickets in their opening over but went on to bat out the 50 overs.

A 62-run partnership between Khaled Mashud and Mohammad Rafique frustrated the West Indies bowlers.

Sarwan exhausted his best bowlers early on and had to resort to using part-timers Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith.

We were short of runs but Bangladesh had slumped to 3-5 when opener Sahariar Hossain was caught at slip off paceman Tino Best and captain Habibul Bashar was lbw next ball.

Worse was to come as Fidel Edwards marked his opening over by dismissing Manjural Islam Rana for a single.

Mohammad Ashraful and Rajin Saleh then put on 38 for the fourth wicket before they too gave their wickets away.

But Mashud, 30, and Rafique, 32, steered Bangladesh to a respectable total. Best, making his one-day debut, finished with figures of 4-35 off his 10 overs.

The second match of the series is today.