West Indies needed a mere 84 to win the first Test match against Bangladesh, at North Sound. With his first ball – the seventh of the innings – Khaled Ahmed (3-14) had West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, top-scorer in their first innings, caught behind. Four balls later, Raymon Reifer faced the same fate. And in his second over, he knocked out the off stump of Nkrumah Bonner, leaving West Indies in tatters at 9/3.
However, John Campbell (28*) and Jermaine Blackwood (17*) saw off the new ball, helping West Indies cover more than half their remaining runs. At stumps on Day 3, they were 49/3, and needed another 35 to win. They should get there without much fuss.
After conceding a 162-run first-innings lead, Bangladesh began the day on 50/2. Kyle Mayers (2-30) soon had Najmul Hossain Shanto caught behind and Mominul Haque leg-before, the latter despite a review. Litton Das took his chances before edging a wide ball to second slip. And after batting for over three hours, Mahmudul Hasan Joy (42) went for a wild swipe just before lunch but only managed an edge. Both wickets fell to Kemar Roach, who finished with 5-53.
At this stage, Bangladesh were 109/6, with the possibilities of an innings defeat looming large, but Shakib Al Hasan (63, his second fifty of the Test match) and Nurul Hasan (64) added 123 – a partnership that engulfed the entire second session. However, things changed dramatically almost as soon as Brathwaite claimed the second new ball: West Indies lost their last four wickets for 13 runs in 43 balls. While Roach ran through the tail, Alzarri Joseph (3-55) added a wicket to his previous day's tally.
Brief scores
Bangladesh 103 (Shakib Al Hasan 51; Jayden Seales 3-33, Alzarri Joseph 3-33) and 245 (Nurul Hasan 64; Kemar Roach 5-53) lead West Indies 265 (Kraigg Brathwaite 94; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 4-59) and 49/3 (John Campbell 28*; Khaled Ahmed 3-14) by 34 runs.