Sarwan brings WI back in game

CASTRIES: Bangladesh squandered a first-innings lead by losing six cheap wickets and leaving the West Indies in a match-winning position on a rain-shortened fourth day of the first cricket Test yesterday. The home team, resuming on 262 for five, were bowled out for 352 just after tea and conceded a first-innings lead of 64. But Bangladesh could not repeat their first-innings heroics when they totalled a Test-best 416. The visitors stumbled to 94 for six at the close, ahead by only 158 runs with a minimum of 105 overs left on today’s final day at Beausejour Stadium.

Leg-spinner Ramnaresh Sarwan snapped up three cheap wickets in two overs to reduce Bangladesh to 79 for six. A possible hat-trick was denied by Khaled Mashud, who was unbeaten on 8, with Rajin Saleh steadfast as wickets tumbled around him. The diminutive right-hander lashed five fours in an unbeaten 34 off 68 balls. A wet outfield again caused a long delay to the start of the fourth day, which was limited to just 62.4 overs. Once play started at 12:05 pm, Chris Gayle and Ridley Jacobs stretched their overnight stand to 59 for the sixth wicket before the lower order fell away.

Gayle, resuming on 110 not out, stretched his score to 141. Wicketkeeper Jacobs hit six fours in an unbeaten 46 off 96 balls. Gayle eventually edged Tapash Baisya to first slip after stroking 18 fours in his fifth Test century. The left-hander faced 293 balls in 435 minutes. Mushfiqur Rahman polished off the lower order to end with career-best figures of four for 65. Pedro Collins was caught at first slip, Jermaine Lawson edged to second slip and Fidel Edwards was plumb leg before. The West Indies bowlers made a positive start as Bangladesh’s openers both fell without reaching double figures.

Edwards made Hannan Sarkar again pay for playing no stroke. Sarkar, who was leg before first ball in the first innings padding up, this time saw his off stump rattled as he left the ball alone. It was 21 for two when Javed Omar snicked a leg-side catch to Jacobs off Edwards’ brother and new-ball partner, Collins. But the West Indies wave was stifled as captain Habibul Bashar and Saleh put on an enterprising 49 at a run-a-minute pace with some sweet strokes around the ground. Tino Best, belatedly brought on in the 19th over, provided the momemt of inspiration as he toppled first-innings century-maker Bashar with his second delivery.

Bashar was bowled for 25 trying to pull, sparking a collapse in which four wickets tumbled for nine runs in 22 balls. Sarwan ripped through the Bangladesh middle order, removing Mohammad Ashraful, Faisal Hossain and Mushfiqur Rahman in successive overs. Sarwan took three for 22 off eight overs to follow his career-best haul in the first innings of three for 59. Ashraful pushed back a full toss for a return catch while Hossain edged to first slip, and Rahman was leg before wicket missing a tentative defensive prod. Mashud and Saleh halted the boisterous West Indian advance towards the end with a dogged unbeaten stand of 15 over the last 10 overs. (AP)