NORMAL service was resumed in the Caribbean as West Indies wrapped up the second Test at Sabina Park, Jamaica yesterday by an innings and 99 runs, and in so doing completed a 1-0 series win over a much-improved Bangladesh side. (Scores: West Indies 559 for 4 dec beat Bangladesh 284 and 176 (Habibul Bashar 77, Collins 6-53) by an innings and 99 runs).
The hero of the fourth day was Pedro Collins, who added four wickets in the morning session to the two he took last night, and in so doing ended any lingering hopes Bangladesh may have harboured of pulling the rabbit out of the hat.
The first hour belonged to Habibul Bashar and Manjural Islam Rana, who extended their fourth-wicket stand to 120. Some defiant batting played its part, but so did West Indies continuing inability to hold catches - Manjural edged Tino Best straight to - and through - Omari Banks in the slips on the sixth ball of the day. Bashar and Manjural started cautiously, before Bashar flicked Dwayne Smith to deep square leg to break the shackles and signal a flurry of boundaries.
Ramnaresh Sarwan came on in the 32nd over, and Bashar immediately hit him through the covers to bring up his half-century, his 17th in Test cricket.
Collins changed ends, but continued to have problems with his run-up, no-balling on several occasions. He did induce an edge from Bashar, which fell just short of Chris Gayle at first slip, but Bashar kept his composure, cutting Collins to the point boundary two balls later, then pulling him for three more through midwicket. In the next over, he hooked Smith to fine leg, where Collins let the ball over the boundary after trying to stop it with his foot. Bashar then brought up the 100 partnership with another four off Smith, this time to fine leg.
Brian Lara brought on Banks in the hope of achieving the breakthrough, and Manjural immediately danced down the track and launched him over long-on for six, but, in the same over tamely cut a short ball to Lara at point for 35 (154 for 4). West Indies suddenly came alive, and were a different team to the one that took the field first thing.
In the next over, Collins trapped Bashar on the crease to dismiss him leg-before for 77 (154 for 5), and then had Mushfiqur Rahman caught in the slips by Dwayne Smith for a four-ball duck (154 for 6). Khaled Mashud clipped his second ball from Banks straight to Sarwan at midwicket, and Bangladesh were teetering on the edge at 155 for 7.
In an inspired spell of bowling, Collins then bowled Mohammad Rafique for 2 with a ball that kept slightly low (160 for 8) and had Tapash Baisya caught at cover to take his figures to 6 for 53. Bangladesh had lost six wickets for 10 runs in the 40 minutes before lunch.
They just managed to extend the game into the afternoon session before Mohammad Ashraful attempted to heave Sarwan over midwicket and Lara took the catch. The celebrations were muted, more relief than delight. (Wisden Cricinfo Ltd).
BANGLADESH first innings 284 (O.Banks 4-87)
West Indies first innings 559-4 declared (R.Sarwan 261 not out, B.Lara 120, S.Chanderpaul 101 not out)
Bangladesh second innings (overnight 66-3)
Javed Omar c Dwayne Smith b Best 5
Hannan Sarkar lbw b Collins 10
Habibul Bashar lbw b Collins 77
Rajin Saleh c Dwayne Smith b Collins 0
Manjural Islam c Lara b Banks 35
Mohammad Ashraful c Lara b Sarwan 9
Mushfiqur Rahman c Dwayne Smith b Collins 0
Khaled Mashud c Sarwan b Banks 0
Mohammad Rafique b Collins 2
Tapash Baisya c Sarwan b Collins 3
Tareq Aziz not out 5
Extras (b-8 lb-6 w-8 nb-8) 30
Total (all out, 51 overs) 176
Fall of wickets: 1-16 2-24 3-34 4-152 5-152 6-154 7-155 8-160 9-164
Bowling: Collins 18-3-53-6, Best 10-0-32-1, Banks 13-2-40-2, Gayle 2-0-9-0, Dwayne Smith 5-1-19-0, Sarwan 3-1-9-1.