West Indies captain Shai Hope led a batting turnaround that helped his side win by 16 runs against Bangladesh in the first T20I in Chattogram. Hope and Rovman Powell,  playing his 100th T20I, put together a late burst of sixes to help the visitors to 165 for 3. Bangladesh crashed to 42 for four in the powerplay in their reply. They ended up bowled out for 149 runs in 19.4 overs.

Jason Holder and Jayden Seales took three wickets each, while Akeal Hosein picked up two in the powerplay.

It was however Hope and Powell, whose 83 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket that powered the visitors’ innings. Hope was not out on 46 off 28 balls with a four and four sixes. Powell had similar numbers, facing 28 balls to hit four sixes and a four, in his unbeaten 44.

Bangladesh though started well with the ball. They rallied around Nasum Ahmed’s four overs. He went wicketless but the left-arm spinner kept West Indies quiet, conceding just 15 runs in his quota. The West Indies openers Brandon King and Alick Athanaze only got a six each though they stuck around for 8.2 overs. Rishad bowled Athanaze for 34, when the batter missed with a reverse sweep. Taskin removed King, caught at deep square-leg for 33.

Taskin followed it up with Sherfane Rutherford’s wicket, as the left-handed batter’s Bangladesh ordeal continued. This time, he fell first ball when wicketkeeper Litton Das took his catch. Although Hope struck couple of sixes at this stage, West Indies couldn’t quite push the scoring rate. Nasum finished off his spell in the 15th over with another stingy over.

Hope kept West Indies afloat when he went after Rishad with two sixes, but with three over remaining, the visitors looked well short of a decent total. Hope cracked a Taskin half volley for his fourth six to start the 18th over. Powell meanwhile finally could get one off the middle of his bat with seven balls remaining in the innings.

He slog swept Mustafizur Rahman for a 102m six, before creaming Tanzim Hasan for three consecutive sixes in the last over. He hammered Tanzim’s full-toss, before going straight for the next two. West Indies picking up 51 runs in the last three overs changed the complexion of the contest.

Bangladesh came out all guns blazing in their pursuit of 166 runs. Tanzid Hasan was going at a shot-a-ball but he lasted just five balls. Romario Shepherd took a stunning catch running back from mid-on but Tanzid’s ultra-aggressive method made little sense. Litton Das then played a soft shot as Akeal Hosein got the ball to stop on the Bangladesh captain. Caught in two minds, Litton gave a catch back to Akeal, who had to take it blind behind the non-striker standing next to him.

Akeal then had Saif Hassan caught at short fine-leg in the next over, attempting a conventional sweep. When Holder removed Shamim Hossain in the fifth over – clipping off his off-bail – West Indies made significant progress as Bangladesh had their last pair of specialist batters at the crease by the end of the powerplay.

The hosts continued to slide when Khary Pierre bowled Nurul Hasan off the inside edge in the ninth over. Towhid Hridoy joined the procession when he fell to Seales in the 12th over. He struck just two fours in his 28 off 25 balls.

Tanzim Hasan then struck a six and three fours in his 33 off 27 balls, to keep Bangladesh’s hopes alive. He added 40 runs for the seventh wicket, before Holder had him caught at deep point in the 16th over. Nasum kept the fire burning with another boundary, but Seales made him his third wicket in the following over.

Holder snuff out Rishad’s threat, who miscued one to long-off. The innings ended when Taskin Ahmed stepped on the stumps although he had sent Shepherd sailing out of the ground in the 18th over.

Brief scores:
West Indies 165 for 3 in 20 overs (Alick Athanaze 34, Brandon King 33, Shai Hope 46*, Rovman Powell 44*, Taskin Ahmed 2-36, Rishad Hossain 1-40) beat Bangladesh 149 in 19.4 overs  (Tanzid Hasan15, Towhid Hridoy 28, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 33, Holder 3-31, Nasum Ahmed 20, Taskin Ahmed 10,Mustafizur Rahman 11*;  Akeal Hosein 2-22, Jayden Seales 3-32, Khary Pierre 1-33, Jason Holder 3-31, Romario Shepherd 1-29) by 16 runs

[Cricinfo]