CWC’19: Shakib shines, B’desh thrash Windies by 7 wickets

Taunton [UK]: All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan guided Bangladesh to beat the West Indies by seven wickets in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton on Monday.
Chasing a competitive target of 322, Bangladesh got off to a steady start before Andre Russell got Soumya Sarkar caught at slip for 29. However, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib continued the momentum, adding a brief 69-run partnership for the second wicket.
In the 18th over, a slight misunderstanding cost Bangladesh Tamim’s wicket for well-compiled 48. Sheldon Cottrell run out Tamim who fell inches short of the crease. On the last ball of the next over, Oshane Thomas got Mushfiqur Rahim caught behind cheaply for one, leaving Bangladesh at 133/3.
Shakib found support in Liton Das and the duo stitched an unbeaten 189-run stand. The senior left-hander Shakib completed his hundred off just 83 balls and Liton reached his fifty from 43 deliveries. Shakib and Liton finished on unbeaten 124 and 94 respectively, to take Bangladesh over the line with 51 balls to spare.
Shakib has displaced Australia captain Aaron Finch (343), becoming the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 384 runs. The Bangladesh cricketer has taken fewest matches in the format to record 6000-plus runs and 250 wickets. Shakib has bettered the record of Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi by a difference of 92 matches.
Earlier, Shai Hope’s knock of 96 runs guided West Indies to post 321 runs on board for the loss of eight wickets in the allotted fifty overs after being put in to bat first.