Bangladesh spinners have Windies in trouble

Bangladesh, fresh from their first overseas Test win, spun their way into a strong position on the first day of the second Test against a makeshift West Indies team in an almost empty stadium.

With tour captain and seamer Mashrafe Mortaza ruled out with injury, Bangladesh went into the game with three spinners and, after putting in West Indies, the trio collected three wickets each as the hosts were dismissed for 237.

West Indies, again missing their leading players who are striking in a dispute over contracts and payments, collapsed after a good start. Travis Dowlin top scored with 95.

As in St.Vincent though, local fans showed little interest in watching what could not even be called a second-string West Indies team.

The day started brightly for Floyd Reifer's side with openers Dale Richards and Omar Phillips making a positive start before Bangladesh, who must have been delighted to see another turning track, switched to spin.

Phillips drove stand in skipper Shakib Al Hasan to Tamim Iqbal to leave West Indies at 60 for one in the 13th over.

Richards powered on though, making his first test half-century but the introduction of Mohammed Mahmudullah - the match-winner last week - turned the innings in Bangladesh's favour.

Richards crashed Mahmudullah's second ball for six but then gave the off-spinner a simple caught and bowled - two balls later, Ryan Hinds, brought in to strengthen the batting doled up an almost identical catch to the spinner.

After lunch, West Indies again showed their inability to deal with the slow turning ball - Reifer was trapped leg before to Mahmudullah and then Dave Bernard woefully sliced Al Hasan to Mohammed Ashraful at point.

Enamul Haque, brought in for Mortaza, had Darren Sammy lbw and then had West Indies keeper Chadwick Walton with the worst shot of the day - a half-hearted mis-timed slog to Ashraful at mid-on.

Dowlin got a little support from the tail but then brought a close to the innings, five short of his maiden test century when he was superbly caught by Tamim Iqbal at cover off Al Hasan.

Bangladesh lost opener Imrul Kayes, caught behind off Sammy, as they moved to 35 for one in the ten over session before the close.

Scorecard

  West Indies (1st innings):
 D. Richards c & b Mahmudullah 69
 O. Phillips c Tamim Iqbal b Shakib Al Hasan 23
 T. Dowlin c Tamim Iqbal b Shakib Al Hasan 95
 R. Hinds c & b Mahmudullah 2
 F. Reifer lbw b Mahmudullah 1
 D. Bernard c Ashraful b Al Hasan 17
 D. Sammy lbw b Haque 1
 C. Walton c Ashraful b Haque 2
 R. Austin hit wicket b Hossain 19
 T. Best b Haque 0
 K. Roach not out 4
 Extras: (lb-1, nb-3) 4
 Total: (all out, 76.1 overs) 237

 Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-104, 3-106, 4-114, 5-157, 6-158, 7-160, 8-219, 9-220

 Bowling: S.Hossain 9-2-30-1 (nb-2), R.Hossain 6-0-27-0 (1nb), E.Haque 24-2-62-3, S. Al Hasan 21.1-7-59-3, M.Mahmudullah 13-2-44-3, M.Ashraful 3-0-14-0.

 Bangladesh (1st innings):
 Tamim Iqbal not out 14
 Imrul Kayes c Walton b Sammy 14
 Enamul Haque not out 5
 Extras: (lb-1, w-1) 2
 Total: (one wicket, 10 overs) 35

 Fall of wickets: 1-26

 To bat: Zunaed Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Raqibul Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammed Mahmudullah, Shahadat Hossain, Rubel Hossain.

 Bowling: Roach 3-0-14-0 (1w), Best 4-0-16-0, Sammy 3-1-4-1