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Barbados completed their expected victory over Bangladesh `A' yesterday at 1:34 p.m.

The victory was met with a nod of approval from team coach Hendy Springer, who stressed that it was important the winning ways be maintained even if the dethroned Busta Cup champions fail to qualify for the semifinals of the International Shield.

Barbados, mainly on Corey Collymore's impressive five-wicket haul, dismissed Bangladesh in the post-lunch session and completed a single-digit target when Philo Wallace was dropped at second slip by opposing captain Akram Khan.

Bangladesh are one of the weaker teams, but we still had to play well to beat them, Springer said. We really had to overpower them. Although they are a weak team, to their credit, they didn't lie down and die.

The win, Barbados' first since the opening match, was achieved with contributions from almost every one in the team.

It shows what a team effort can do. You can't just depend on one or two guys to make the runs, the coach said. The majority of the guys did very well. That is important in a team effort and the charge to win. It was a good example for the younger guys in the squad and outside of the squad.

Barbados, coming off a string of three successive defeats, moved to 24 points, but will need to win their final two matches and hope that other results go their way if they are to stand a chance of making the semifinals of the International Shield.

Development is one of my things, but winning is part of development, Springer said. If we win these last two games with our players having good performances, I think we will end the season, whether we qualify or not, on a pretty high note.

We've played a couple of games badly and we've played a couple really well. At this point in time, we're blowing a bit hot and cold. We need to win to get the youngsters into the habit of winning and to help them develop quicker, Springer said.

Bangladesh `A' endured a torrid first hour yesterday in which Collymore's high-class spell reduced them to 93 for six after resuming on 66 for three.

Collymore maintained an immaculate line and length and swung the ball beautifully away from the right-handers.

Akram Khan, a player with the experience of five Tests, attracted one which he edged. The ball was quickly heading to the turf but wicket-keeper Courtney Browne swooped low to his right to haul in the catch.

There might have been some debate over Tushar Imran's lbw dismissal with the height brought into question after Ian Bradshaw pinned him on the back foot.

But there was no doubt that Mushfiqur Rahman was an obvious casualty to the three-card trick. Collymore troubled him with two outswingers and then brought one in to trap him lbw on the back foot.

Those three wickets in 40 minutes, which left Bangladesh `A' trailing by 63 runs with only one specialist batsmen remaining, suggested the match might have been over by lunch.

But Mazharul Haque, the first innings topscorer, and wicket-keeper Anwar Hossain survived for almost an hour before Hossain, on the stroke lunch, steered a catch to fifth slip off Pedro Collins.

The heavy-set Mazharul followed up his 83 on the opening day with another gutsy effort that stretched for four hours. His resistance ended eight minutes after lunch with a right-handed catch by Browne.

The end was near and it was only a matter of whether Barbados would have to bat again.

At least Bangladesh `A' saved themselves a second successive innings defeat with the last-wicket pair ensuring Barbados would have to get a few runs to win.

© The Barbados Nation