North Sound – West Indies were 15 without loss, replying to Bangladesh’s first innings total of 103, at tea on the first day of the first Test on Thursday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua.
At the interval, Windies captain Kraigg Brathwaite was not out on nine and left-handed opening partner John Campbell was not out on one.
The two West Indies openers chose discretion as the best part of valour and soaked up a pressure from tight bowling from the Bangladeshis before the break.
Brathwaite was fortunate that Mominul Haque failed to hold onto a sharp chance off pacer Mustafizur Rahman at leg-gully before he had scored in the third over of the innings.
Earlier, pacers Jayden Seales and Alzarri Joseph ended with the identical figures of 3-33 from 10 and 8.5 overs respectively, carving up the remaining Bangladesh wickets after lunch.
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan got the top score of 51 and long-serving left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal made 29 before the visitors were bowled out about 40 minutes after lunch.
Seales struck in the first over after the interval when he got Mehidy Hasan Miraz caught behind down the leg-side without addition his lunch score of two, trying to glance a wayward delivery.
The Windies pacer got the scalp of Mustafizur caught behind for a duck in his next over when the left-hander tried sparred at a delivery outside the off-stump and gave wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva his fourth catch.
West Indies were put on their heels when Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan launched a counteroffensive, taking three fours off Joseph’s seventh over.
Seales might have had a fourth scalp had Nkrumah Bonner held a chance from Ebadot Hossain in the slips, but the Bangladeshi pacer stuck around long enough to usher his captain to 50 before they both fell to Joseph in the span of five balls.
Summarised scores:
Bangladesh 103 (Shakib Al Hasan 51, Tamim Iqbal 29; Jayden Seales 3-33, Alzarri Joseph 3-33, Kyle Mayers 2-10, Kemar Roach 2-21). West Indies 15 without loss.
(AR)