Hetmyer’s magnificent 125 helps Windies level series
Man-of-the-Match Shimron Hetmyer stroked his maiden ton at home, as the Windies levelled the ODI series 1-1 after completing a three-wicket win in Wednesday’s day/night affair at Providence.
Shimron Hetmyer acknowledges the supporters after reaching his first ODI century on his home turf against Bangladesh at the Providence
Following up his fifty from Sunday, the former Windies U-19 World Cup winning skipper became the youngest Guyanese to score an ODI ton as he dealt primarily in sixes as he smoked seven huge maximums and three fours in his majestic 125 off 93 deliveries.
Rovman Powell flexed his guns for a bit, hitting four fours in his 44 and added a century stand of 103 with Hetmyer, to help the hosts rack up 271 all out in 49.3 overs. Fast bowler Rubel Hossain was the pick of the lot with 3-61 while Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan bagged two apiece.
Bangladesh almost got there thanks to fifties from Tamim Iqbal (54); Shakib Al Hasan (56) and Mushfiqur Rahim (68) as the visitors ended on 268-6. Windies used six bowlers with five returning a wicket each in a collective effort.
Anamul Haque smashed 23 off nine balls with two fours and as many sixes to help the Tigers rocket to their fastest team 50 in ODIs, before Joseph accounted for his dismissal. Tamim and Shakib continued from Sunday where they added 200-plus runs during an amazing partnership.
Khan reached his second fifty in succession striking at nearly 70, while Al Hasan also made a repeat of the first match by registering his mini milestone a few deliveries after. After toying with the Windies seamers for the majority of their 97-run stand, the introduction of spin yielded rewards for the hosts.
Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal was stumped by wicketkeeper shortly after passing the half century mark
Bishoo outfoxed Tamim, who was stumped by Shai Hope while Shakib was caught off Nurse’s bowling to leave Bangladesh 145-3. Top scorer Rahim and Mahmudullah then staged another fight-back which seemed fruitful before their respective dismissals. They steered the chase with a little more to do than Mossdek Hossain and Mashrafe Mortaza could have pulled off as they ended not out on 3 and 1 respectively.
Earlier, Evin Lewis looked ominous during his brief innings of 12 as he cleared the ropes once, while managing just one four, prior to Mortaza winning a successful LBW appeal. Chris Gayle (29), meanwhile, opened up his arms with a couple of fours and a six off Mehedy to keep the score ticking.
Windies’s team 50 came up in the 13th over with the big left-hander looking settled, but soon after he was pinned leg before wicket by Mehedy, who got his revenge for being smashed earlier by Gayle.
At 55-2, Hetmyer, the top-scorer from the last match, came out to join Shai Hope (25) who continued to scratch around the crease. Shakib capitalised on Hope’s lack of form and had him caught by Sabbir in the covers after he escaped with his wicket following a beauty of a delivery, the ball before.
A nice sweep for four by Hetmyer raised Windies’ 100 in the 23rd over with the Guyanese looking more comfortable with every delivery. Jason Mohammed’s (12) woes continued as he picked the wrong delivery from Rubel to cut and picked out backward point.
Hetmyer absorbed the pressure around him and soon reached his second consecutive fifty as he and Powell added a solid fifty-partnership. That soon turned into a century stand between the two as both batsmen looked to acquire as many boundaries as possible before the innings ended.
The Jamaican upped his scoring with a wide array of short-arm jabs and pulls, but the partnership was broken by Rubel, who got one to disturb the stumps of the right-hander, just six short of what would have been a well-deserved fifty.
Holder (07) joined in on the fun, smashing Shakib for a six back over his head before the veteran left-arm spinner had him stumped the very next delivery to send Windies plummeting further. Nurse imploded for 3, gifting his wicket to Mustafizur while Paul was caught behind off Rubel for 4.
But the milestone could not be prevented as Hetmyer reached his first international ton on home soil with a dab off Mustafizur, which he celebrated with much elation. Bishoo was knocked over by Mustafizur soon after as the Caribbean side’s innings came to an end.
