SCENTED VICTORY | World sport

Experienced fast bowler Kemar Roach and his charge Jayden Seales grabbed three wickets each to put the West Indies in prime position to push for victory against Bangladesh on an eventful penultimate day in the first Test match in which 17 wickets fell .

The performances of Roach and Seales made up for the Windies’ poor batting performance in the second innings and overshadowed a spectacular performance by Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who took the best six-wicket haul of his career.

After the visitors surprisingly announced their overnight total of 269 for nine, conceding a first-innings lead of 181 runs, Ahmed then grabbed 6-64 to defeat the West Indies by just 152 runs, giving Bangladesh a slim chance of one Come-from-success gave -behind the victory.

However, in the pursuit of 334, Roach and Seales almost took the home side to victory, restricting their opponents to 109 for seven before bad light brought the game to an early end on the penultimate day yesterday.

Now at the end of his career, the 36-year-old Roach gave the West Indies the perfect start when the fifth ball of the innings off Zakir Hasn bounced off the inside of his bat and crashed onto the stumps for just a run.

Seales then increased the pressure by having Mahmudul Hasan Joy caught at third slip by Justin Greaves after the opener was played with a long throw away from his body, leaving Bangladesh seven for two.

Roach claimed his second wicket at review after umpire Kumar Dharmasena initially ruled out Shahadat Hossain after being caught behind.

However, replay showed that the ball had touched Hossain’s glove on its way to the wicketkeeper, resulting in the visitors being in further trouble at 20 for three.

Pacer Shamar Joseph was then unlucky not to have Mominul Haque sent off twice in the same session. First, wicketkeeper Joshua DaSilva missed a difficult chance when he dived to the leg side and on his very next delivery, Mikyle Louis took a simple catch at gully.

The missed chances didn’t prove costly, however, as Roach completed a stunning return catch in the next over to level Haque after scoring 11 points, leaving the visitors in dire straits 23-4.

Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Litton Das tried to rebuild the innings in a 36-run stand until Shamar Joseph was deservedly rewarded when he tricked Das into pulling a ball delivery straight into the hands of Alzarri Joseph at deep backward square.

Miraz and Jaker Ali frustrated the West Indies during a 43-run partnership that took the visitors past the 100-run mark.

But soon after, Miraz flirted with a ball outside off stump and was caught brilliantly by a leaping DaSilva off the bowling of Seales, leading to a well-played 45 off 46 balls.

Seales then bowled Taijul Islam clean for the fourth over to give the West Indies hope of finishing the game on day four with the score at 108 for seven before Bad Light finally had the final say. Roach has gone 3-20 so far while Seales finished 3-31.

Earlier, Ahmed led a Bangladesh fightback with some top-notch pace bowling. Ahmed had both Mikyle Louis and Keacy Carty caught behind the wicket while Shoriful Islam dismissed West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite for 23, taking the score to 39 for 3.

Ahmed was also responsible for the wickets of Kavem Hodge with 15, first innings centurion Justin Greaves for two, before returning to bring the finishing touches by taking the last two wickets of Shamar Joseph and Kemar Roach to take the game with them brought the session to the final with an interesting starting point.