Minnows Bangladesh experienced a 73 runs defeat to test elite West Indies in the first of the two-match ODI series at floodlit Bangabandhu National Stadium Friday.

Chasing a victory target of 293, the hosts struggled to reach 219 for 5 in stipulated 50 overs on a wet ground with slow outfield following rain during the break.

The rain delayed the Bangladesh innings, but no over was curtailed.

With 96 runs for 5 on the scoreboard, Bangladesh's unbeaten sixth wicket partnership of Al Shahriar Rokon and Khaled Masud Pilot contributed 123 runs to take the home side to a respectable total.

Rokon, staging a comeback in the current two-match ODI series after he was dropped from the three-dayer, scored team highest 62 runs off 103 balls.

Wicket keeper Pilot hit a quick half century making 53 in the last ball of the innings. He faced 57 balls.

Spinner Jimmy Adams was the most successful Caribbean bowler who in his very first ball of the first over trapped opener Shahriar Hossain Bidyut (45) leg before wicket.

Aminul Islam Bulbul (0) was caught by Sherwin Campbell in the last ball of the same over of Adams who later took the wicket of Habibul Bashar Sumon (25) to complete his 7 overs conceding 24 runs.

Adams, who earlier scored a patient 56 runs for West Indies after an early setback with skipper Brian Lara returning to the pavilion with only 2 runs, was adjudged man of the match.

West Indies had an exceptional bowling start with spinner Nehemiah Perry opening the attack, but did not get any wicket. Pacer Curtley Ambrose coming as a change bowler also remained wicketless.

Mervyn Dillon and Nixon McLean took one wicket each. Except captain Brian Lara and wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs all the West Indian players bowled.

Apart from Rokon, Pilot and Bidyut, another notable scorer for Bangladesh was Habibul Bashar Sumon (25), who replaced opener Mehrab Hossain Opee injured during the three-day match against the Calypsos.

Javed Omar Belim Gulla, who was successful with the bat hammering 53 runs in the first innings of the three-dayer, failed to show his form and went back to the dressing room caught behind by Ridley Jacobs off Mervyn Dillon. Gulla scored only 4 runs.

Similarly, vice captain Khaled Mahmud Sujon, who had a good innings of 40 runs in the three-day match, flopped in the day's affair. He was also caught behind from a McLean delivery scoring only 2 runs.

Bangladesh lost their first wicket with only 24 runs on the board, followed by second and third wickets on 73, the fourth wicket on 88 and the fifth on 96.

Earlier, an unbeaten 92 by Shivnaraine Chanderpaul and 56 runs by Jimmy Adams propelled West Indies to a huge 292 for 6 in their first one-day match of a two ODI series against Bangladesh.

New West Indian sensation Ricardo Powell hammered 34 runs and Nixon McLean scored a quick 39 runs frustrating the early breakthrough by the new ball bowlers of the home side after the visitors opted to bat first winning the toss.

Manjurul Islam struck early in the innings when world record holder Brian Lara was caught by Sujon from his very first delivery in the second over of the innings.

Lara, who hammered a superb 87 from 76 balls in the just concluded three-day match against Bangladesh and came to open the innings after a long time, returned to the pavilion scoring only 2 runs.

Joy of the spectators at the jam-packed Bangabandhu National Stadium knew no bounds as soon thereafter opening bowler Hasibul Hossain Shanta struck the second blow to the West Indian innings claiming the wicket of opener Sherwin Campbell (13).

But experienced Jimmy Adams steadied the rocking boat of the Caribbeans with two valuable partnerships with Wavell Hinds for whom it was only the fifth ODI and Chanderpaul.

Hinds scored 40 from 47 balls before he was caught by Habibul Bashar Sumon from a delivery of Khaled Mahmud Sujon as the scoreboard showed 83/3 in 15.3 overs.

Adams and Chanderpaul had later a unique partnership of 92 runs. Chanderpaul remained not out at 92 at the end of their innings while Adams fell a victim of Bangladesh captain Aminul Islam Bulbul.

After the departure of Adams with West Indies score at 175/4, the weekend crowd watched an expected swashbuckling batting from Powell and also from McLean.

Powell's batting reminded the spectators of his aggressive style seen recently in Singapore and Canada. The right-handed batsman, considered a successor to Vivian Richards, scored 34 runs from 23 balls that featured four huge sixes.

Mclean was faster than Powell and hammered 39 runs from only 22 deliveries that included three sixes and one four.

Manjurul Islam completed his 10-over quota capturing two wickets conceding 63 runs. But he was most unlucky as captain Bulbul dropped Adams off a Manjur delivery while on 18 only.

Naimur Rahman Durjoy dropped Chanderpaul, also from a Manjur delivery, when his score was 66. Chanderpaul again survived twice as Shanta dropped two catches in two consecutive balls from Manjur with the West Indian on 78 and 80.

While dropping the catch, Durjoy hurt his fingers that needed eight stitches. He will not be able to play the Saturday's match.

Hasibul Hossain Shanta took two wickets giving away 66 runs in 9 overs while Khaled Mahmud Sujon and Aminul Islam Bulbul bagged one wicket each conceding 44 and 34 runs in 10 and 5 overs respectively.

© 1999