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Somerset 206 for 8 (Banton 100, Abell 63) beat Kent 151 (C Overton 3-32) by 55 runsThere is no more exciting young T20 batsman in England than Tom Banton. In fact, let’s not beat about the bush, there is no more exciting young batsman in the world. A maiden T20 hundred at the 13th time of asking was a momentous moment in an emerging career, assuredly the prelude to greater things.Banton’s breathtaking 100 from 52 balls, with nine fours and five sixes, even managed to end one of T20 cricket’s great losing sequences along the way. Somerset had lost 11 successive T20 contests against Kent, equalled only by Zimbabwe’s frequent capitulations against Pakistan, but that run was ended emphatically by 55 runs as Kent found Somerset’s 206 for 8 beyond them.Kent remain second in South Group but Somerset have entered the top four and, although both have now played one more match than their rivals, they have the quality to progress to the quarter-finals.Somerset should enjoy Banton while they can because, in the way of county cricket, he will soon be spirited away, blooded by England in their next T20I (against New Zealand in November) if they have any sense, and pursued by T20 franchises around the globe. IPL negotiators are already studying highlight reels and after this they should request an update because the story gets better all the time.”Everywhere you look on social media, people are going crazy about him,” said Somerset’s captain, Tom Abell. “He is a phenomenal talent.”Banton, a tall and audacious strokemaker awash with scoring options, has something of Kevin Pietersen about him and is arguably more rhythmical. He has also found his self-belief somewhat sooner. About this stage of his career, KP still imagined he was an offspinner.In Somerset they joke that Banton bats faster than he talks, which is a something of a relief otherwise his front teeth would be in permanent danger of splattering into a pasty stall on Taunton High Street. He had a superb 50-over campaign and struck his previous T20-best, 71 against Surrey, only eight days ago. To keep his feet on the ground, the wise counsel of Marcus Trescothick will play a major role.From the moment that Banton square-drove the pace of Adam Milne in the opening over, one sensed that something special might be about to unfold. Freddie Klaasen’s left-arm disappeared for three boundaries in an over: a half volley along the ground, through extra cover; the length dragged back so struck on the up in the same direction; and then the reminder that nobody in England reverse-sweeps with such disdain.There was the odd hiccup along the way. Mohammad Nabi deceived him in the flight when he had 42 from 23 balls, but he escaped with three runs over the keeper’s head. On 57 from 31, he was badly dropped by Milne when he miscued to cover. The bowler? “Hardus Viljoen, I think his name is,” he told Sky TV at the interval. “He bowled very well.”Somehow, amidst the mayhem, Daniel Bell-Drummond, purveyor of only 45 previous deliveries in 86 T20s, stole in with an over conceding six singles. Bell-Drummond conceded the boundary that brought up Banton’s hundred but had him caught next ball at long on – his first T20 wicket.Banton had an excellent accomplice in an innings where only one other Somerset batsman reached double figures. Tom Abell’s combative 63 from 33 balls kept pace in a third-wicket stand of 102 in 54 balls. Rarely have so many deliberate shots been fashioned down past the keeper, none better than two retreats to leg against the left-arm round of Klaasen to deflect him to third man off leg stump.Whereas Banton plays with long-limbed fluency, almost dreamlike in his ease, Abell is more pugnacious, his chest expanding more determinedly than one might deem possible from a well-spoken young man of such modest stature. Once Banton had fallen at 169 for 3 with 22 balls remaining, it was Abell who helped gather a further 39 to bat Kent out of the game.It all ensured an unhappy return for Sam Billings, who was making his first appearance of the season after recovering from a left shoulder injury. Billings certainly tested it out in a jolting dive in the outfield which narrowly failed to end Abell’s innings on 56. When Abell was caught at deep mid-off by Zak Crawley, Billings slipped and almost collided with him. He survived to fight another day and Kent will be relieved about that.Crawley, another highly-regarded young talent (well ahead of Banton when it comes to considering future England Test batsmen) gave Kent early impetus, striking 35 from 24 balls in an opening stand of 50 in 5.2 overs with Bell-Drummond before he drove Jerome Taylor to cover.But Craig Overton broke Kent in the 13th over with three wickets in five balls. Bell-Drummond slashed into the off side and was well caught by Eddie Byrom, Billings departed to an off-side loft and Mohammad Nabi fell for nought, flicking to Taylor at short long leg. Two run outs by Tom Lammonby rounded off a tigerish Somerset fielding display on another memorable Taunton T20 night.

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Fifteen months ago, Afghanistan and West Indies faced off in the finals of the World Cup Qualifiers in Harare. It was a landmark day in Afghanistan’s young cricketing history as they toppled the two-time World Cup winners to make a statement that they deserved to be here.Unfortunately, the only statement that the world seems to remember from their 2019 campaign is Gulbadin Naib’s ” (we are already drowned darling, but we’ll take you with us) quip ahead of the match against Bangladesh.Beyond that, of course, there are those who would say they should have beaten India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In each of those games, their lack of experience and poor tactics were exposed. However, the bigger question still stares at them: did they give themselves the best chance to compete? Should they have tinkered with their leadership?Then, there was also the controversy over Mohammad Shahzad’s injury even as the wicketkeeper-batsman claimed to be a victim of board politics. Public differences between the sacked selection committee chief and outgoing head coach Phil Simmons haven’t helped them either. Now in their final game, they would want to give Simmons a fitting farewell.For West Indies, this World Cup promised much more. Their battery of young players – Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer – are being hailed as some of the best talent to emerge in recent times. Chris Gayle wanted it to be his swansong, Andre Russell brought with him the threat that made him IPL’s MVP. Shannon Gabriel’s fire, Oshane Thomas’ pace and Jason Holder’s bounce brought with it a fine fast-bowling cocktail.They had Australia tottering at 38 for 4, posted 300 plus against Bangladesh, came within one blow of victory against New Zealand and then squandered a winning position against Sri Lanka. How could it all go wrong? It’s a question they would do well to answer, although they will be the first to admit that they have underachieved. Ahead of their flight back for a home series against India, they’d want to carry back some happy memories.

Form guide

West Indies:LLLLL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan:LLLLLGetty Images

In the spotlight

Not too many selection committees gamble on a batsman with just one ODI under his belt ahead of a World Cup. Yet, as they leave, Nicholas Pooran‘s batting has been among the biggest positives for West Indies. His 118 against Sri Lanka is the highest by a West Indies player this World Cup. He’s the only West Indies batsman to average above 40 this tournament. Against Sri Lanka, he fell with his side needing 31 in three overs. If he gets into a similar situation, he’d be itching to finish it off and prove it to be his next step of learning.Gulbadin Naib may have well replayed the 46th over against Pakistan many times over in his head. He’d perhaps do things differently if he could warp back in a time machine. Could he have bowled Samiullah Shinwari? Would that have left Pakistan needing 18 or 20 off the final over? Could they have won? Now, Naib has a final opportunity to leave his mark on the world stage.

Team news

Kemar Roach trained full-tilt, a hint that he could be back for West Indies. Hamid Hasan’s injury for Afghanistan could mean a debut for left-arm medium pacer Sayed Shirzad.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Sunil Ambris, 3 Shai Hope (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Jason Holder (capt), 7 Carlos Brathwaite, 8 Fabian Allen, 9 Sheldon Cottrell, 10 Oshane Thomas, 11 Kemar RoachAfghanistan: (probable): 1 Rahmat Shah, 2 Gulbadin Naib (capt), 3 Hashmatullah Shahidi 4 Ikram Alikhil (wk), 5 Asghar Afghan, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Najibullah Zadran, 8 Samiullah Shenwari, 10 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 11 Sayed Shirzad

Pitch and conditions

Forecast is for a bright start, with cloud cover and possibly some rain towards the evening. This could make the toss tricky. Do you then play for DLS or go with the tried-and-tested mantra of batting first, batting big and choking the opponents? As such, both sides have chased poorly. They may as well bat first when the surface is at its best.

Strategy punt

• Three matches at No. 5, five games at No. 6. Afghanistan haven’t maximised Mohammad Nabi’s utility. Branding him a finisher has meant he’s largely batted when games have all been decided, the India clash being an exception. They need to find a way to slot him a spot higher.
• Gayle isn’t comfortable against spin upfront. Not if the bowler at the other end is Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Remember the qualifier final last year? A googly that drew him forward, only to rip away and crash into the stumps. Since then, of course, Gayle and Mujeeb have been team-mates at the IPL. Can Afghanistan look to play on his ego once again?

Stats and trivia

• Sheldon Cottrell’s seven wickets are the most for a bowler inside the first 10 overs this World Cup
• Afghanistan have used five opening pairs, the most by any team this tournament
• West Indies average 11.1 for the first wicket, the lowest among all teams
• Mujeeb’s economy rate of 4.3 is the best among spinners who have bowled at least 20 overs

It’s been a tournament of mixed emotions for Faf du Plessis, so it was fitting that his relief at finally getting “the horse out of the shed” in registering South Africa’s first point in four attempts should be tempered by frustration on a rain-wrecked day in Southampton that denied his side the chance to get into a proper World Cup dogfight.That said, by the latter stages of a five-hour rain delay, du Plessis – who had yet to get off the mark in the first seven deliveries of his innings – admitted that his team’s desire to get back onto the field had been tempered by the fear that a rain-shortened contest would have played into the hands of their opponents.Having lost two early wickets with only 29 runs on the board in 7.3 overs, the likelihood would have been a favourable DLS adjustment for West Indies, no matter how well South Africa had recovered. And so, in the final analysis, du Plessis was content to take his side’s battle for World Cup survival into Saturday’s clash with Afghanistan in Cardiff – the first of what he now knows will be five must-win contests.”The horse is out of the shed, if that’s the right wording,” said du Plessis. “You know we wanted to play a full game today. I think it’s pretty obvious that when you play a team like West Indies, just because of the make-up of their side. So it’s disappointing because it’s important for us to get some cricket in and start ticking over. But we can’t control the weather. So as a team, we’ll take the one point and move forward to the next week.”Given the grey skies that dogged Southampton all day, there’s clearly no knowing how West Indies’ own hard hitters would have fared when faced with an attack led once again by Kagiso Rabada and beefed up by the inclusion of the left-arm seamer, Beuran Hendricks – Dale Steyn’s newly acclimatised replacement. However, the available evidence suggested that South Africa actually dodged a bullet – especially after their designated mainstay, Hashim Amla, had been blasted from the crease in Sheldon Cottrell’s second over, to take his tournament tally to 25 runs in three visits.”Hash is a class player,” said du Plessis. “You know it’s tough on a wicket like that because, when you are opening up the innings, you need a bit of luck to go your way. Like most of our batters, it’s just a matter of getting in, and getting those starts converted into runs, because if you can get through the first 10-15 overs, that’s when the scores come.”There didn’t seem to be much prospect of any batsmen getting themselves in on a tricky deck, however. Aiden Markram fenced a short ball to the keeper to give Cottrell his second breakthrough, and the difficulty of knowing how to pace the rest of their innings was bound to have played on South Africa’s minds, given that they were nominally expected to see out a full 50 overs, but were almost certainly going to find themselves defending their target in considerably less.”Generally when you are chasing, it always favours the team batting second,” he said. “We batted seven overs, they are not expecting a shortened game, so the pace that you go at, and losing two wickets, [changes things].”Even with, around in my mind, when I was looking at 30, 35 overs, I was still feeling like if we get a score of 200, or 200-plus, I do feel there was enough in that wicket with our bowling attack, especially when playing Beuran today as well, an extra seamer.””But the further the game goes, the closer to a T20 game it becomes, the odds are heavily in their favour. So as it got a bit later in the day, then you’d rather get the point and go.”Floyd Reifer, West Indies’ head coach, tempered his own disappointment at the washout, but conceded that his team – irrespective of their defeat against Australia last week – would have fancied their chances of inflicting further damage on their demoralised opponents.”It was a good opportunity to play against them, like any other team in the competition,” Reifer said. “We are playing fearless cricket, so it doesn’t matter who we play. When we play them, we want to play the same brand of cricket that we are playing, what we executed in the past couple of games.”It was a chase that we should have won,” he added of the Australia match, when they came up short in pursuit of 289. “We kind of made some mistakes at key points in the game and it happens in cricket, but you learn from it. I’m sure next time most guys will be in that position and will make better decisions.”Either way, South Africa would all too readily swap positions in the group table with West Indies. However, du Plessis insisted it was too soon to start weighing up permutations in the fight for the top four, or to start wishing for certain teams to trip up to make their own requirement more manageable. The only thing that really matters, he said, is chalking up some overdue wins.”It is too far away,” du Plessis said. “Right now, for us, we need to focus on our performance. If we can get our performance sorted out, our skills, our confidence back up where it needs to be, and start getting on a roll of two or three games, you can only really look at those things when it comes to the last week of the tournament.”Naturally, when you are in a tournament like this, as the team at the bottom part of the log, you want the top team to keep winning to make sure there is a little bit of a breathing room for the other two or three teams, so you keep an eye on other results, maybe, in that aspect. But it’s obviously really out of our control.”

Jos Buttler has given England a significant boost by reporting fit for training in Southampton, following a thigh injury sustained during last week’s victory over Bangladesh.Buttler did not keep wicket in Cardiff on Saturday – Jonny Bairstow took the gloves – after sustained heavy bruising after being hit by a delivery while batting. But he has recovered well and is all but certain to play in Friday’s match against West Indies.”He’ll be fine,” England coach, Trevor Bayliss, said. “He’ll be back and able to practice fully. It was a bit precautionary the other day. He could have kept. We just weren’t really sure if he would have been able to sprint after a high catch.”Moeen Ali was absent from Wednesday’s session, however. He was at the bedside of his wife, Firuza, as she gave birth to their second child, a daughter named Haadiya. He is expected to re-join the squad in time for training on Thursday morning, and is likely to return to the team for Friday’s game in place of one of the seamers. Bayliss hinted that the final place in the side would probably be between the new-ball bowler Chris Woakes or middle-overs seamer Liam Plunkett.”Southampton is somewhere where we have played two spinners in the past,” Bayliss said. “If Moeen does come back in – and we’ll have to have a look at the wicket first – then it is one of the pace bowlers who misses out. It is a difficult decision: you’ve got one guy who bowls up front [Woakes] who can get the ball to move off the seam versus a guy [Plunkett] that is the leading wicket-taker through those middle overs over the last few years. It’s a difficult decision and I can’t tell you right at this moment who would miss out.”ALSO READ: Archer’s presence adds spice to England-West Indies clashThe statistics would suggest Plunkett might have the better chance of retaining his place. He has been England’s most economical bowler in the tournament to date – he is conceding just 4.86 runs per over on average – and has claimed three wickets at an average of 24.33. Woakes has been England’s most expensive bowler – he is conceding 7.71 runs per over – and has claimed three wickets at a cost of 54 apiece. Woakes is the better batsman and fielder, however, and bowls in the first Powerplay, so the comparison is not entirely valid.A glance at the pitch – which is nowhere near as green as the surface seen in the match against Bangladesh – suggests England will recall Moeen. The playing area in Southampton is also much larger than the one in Cardiff – it is probably the largest among international grounds in England and Wales – so there is less chance of mis-hits carrying over the boundary.While Bayliss admitted to some concerns over the form of Adil Rashid, who came into the World Cup with a shoulder injury, he also expressed confidence in his anticipated contributions in the remainder of the tournament.”I think what he needs is more bowling whether that is in the nets or in a match,” Bayliss said. “He did have a niggle in his shoulder, but over this last couple of weeks he hasn’t had anywhere near as much of a problem with it. I don’t think the wickets have necessarily been an advantage to the spinners yet, but the further we go through the competition and maybe get a bit of drier weather and play on used pitches, he may come into his own.”England’s training session was heavily curtailed by rain on Wednesday afternoon, though West Indies were able to train in the morning. Andre Russell was a noticeable absentee – he missed the match against South Africa due to his chronic knee problem – though the team management remain confident he will be fit for Friday. Evin Lewis, however, was able to return to training after recovering from a hand injury.

Tom Alsop’s second first-class century lifted Hampshire to a solid 291 for 6 on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.Hampshire were looking for leaders in their batting, having lost Aiden Markram and James Vince to international duty and seen India batsman Ajinkya Rahane’s debut delayed due to a BCCI player engagement.Alsop, 23, rose to the challenge in polished fashion. After Hampshire chose to bat, he compiled a career-best unbeaten 131 not out from 273 balls to steer his side away from uncertain positions at 44 for 2 and 171 for 5.A depleted Warwickshire attack missing the injured Olly Stone, Liam Norwell and Ryan Sidebottom and the unavailable Chris Woakes, persevered well, led by the excellent Olly Hannon-Dalby. But Hampshire got away from them in the final session when Alsop was joined by the aggressive Aneurin Donald.Hampshire had lost their openers in the first 16 overs. Joe Weatherley fell lbw to Hannon-Dalby in an excellent opening spell of 7-4-4-1 by the seamer and Oliver Soames tickled a leg-side delivery from Jeetan Patel to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose.As Hannon-Dalby and Patel applied pressure, Alsop and Sam Northeast knuckled down to add 73 in 27 overs either side of lunch before the latter played across a Hannon-Dalby in-ducker and was lbw.When Rilee Rossouw skied Patel to Craig Miles at mid-off, Hampshire were wobbling at 122 for 4. Liam Dawson was immediately fortunate to survive a run-out appeal from Miles’ direct hit, but survive he did to add 49 with Alsop before lifting Hannon-Dalby to Rob Yates at point.At 171 for 5, the day was in the balance but former Glamorgan player Donald yanked it Hampshire’s way with a vivid counter-attack. He struck ten fours on his way to a 41-ball fifty and 75 out of a partnership of 84 with Alsop before slashing Hannon-Dalby to gully.Hannon-Dalby was denied a richly-deserved five-for when Alsop, on 105, was dropped by Dominic Sibley at extra cover. Gareth Berg was also reprieved, on 2, when Henry Brookes grassed a caught-and-bowled chance and, let off the hook somewhat, Hampshire will aim to crack on past 400 on the second day.That would pile pressure on a Warwickshire top order missing the injured Sam Hain and Ian Bell and including 19-year-old Rob Yates on his first-class debut, and Adam Hose, back after a month out with a broken thumb.

Alastair Cook has scored an unbeaten 150 in his first innings in England since retiring from Test cricket, playing for Essex in a pre-season game against Cambridge University.It was 34-year-old former England captain Cook’s first outing at home since he received a knighthood in the Queen’s New Year Honours list and his 64th first-class ton.Cook retired last September with a knock of 147 against India at The Oval, after 161 Test appearances and 12,472 runs, both England records.He took to the Cambridge attack with authority, bringing up his fifty before lunch on the opening day of the three-day game with the ninth boundary of his innings, having faced 106 balls. He reached his hundred before tea off 200 deliveries and finished with 150 off 248 balls, including 21 fours.Cook shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 217 with Adam Wheater before Wheater was dismissed for 130. Cook gave Luke Chapman a tough caught-and-bowled chance en route to his century, but otherwise played flawlessly, and both batsmen reached their tons in the same Josh Cantrell over which yielded 19 runs.Essex declared on 387 for 5. They open their 2019 County Championship season at Hampshire on 5 April.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s three-wicket haul set up Afghanistan’s five-wicket win over Ireland in the first ODI in Dehradun. All three of his wickets came in his opening spell, during which he reduced Ireland to 14 for 3. The visitors couldn’t recover and were bowled out for 161 despite Paul Stirling’s fighting 89. Afghanistan didn’t face much difficulty in their chase, getting over the line in the 42nd over.William Porterfield opted to bat first but the Ireland batsmen had no clue against the guile of Mujeeb. Bowling with the new ball, Mujeeb struck with his third delivery of the match as Porterfield chopped a length ball on to the stumps.Andy Balbrinie was the next to go. The batsman tried to sweep Mujeeb from outside off only to miss and get struck on the pads. Umpire S Ravi didn’t take long to raise his finger but replays showed the impact was outside the line of the off stump.Off the very next ball, Mujeeb snared debutant James McCollum, who went back and across to a googly only to end up playing outside the line. This time there was no doubt about the lbw decision. Mujeeb’s figures at this point were 4-3-2-3.The spinner could have had Stirling lbw in his next over but Ravi once again erred, this time benefitting Ireland. Apart from that call Stirling looked firm in defence, but the middle order – Kevin O’Brien, Simi Singh and Stuart Poynter – offered little resistance and soon Ireland were reeling at 69 for 6.Stirling eventually found an ally in George Dockrell and the two added 76 for the seventh wicket in 15.2 overs. During their association, Stirling switched gears and hit Mohammad Nabi for sixes over long-on and deep midwicket. Rashid Khan broke the partnership in the 46th over, bowling Dockrell for 37 for his first wicket of the match.Stirling hit back-to-back fours off Dawlat Zadran in the 49th over, the first a lofted off-drive and then a cheeky scoop over short fine leg, but was bowled in the next over as he moved too far across only to see a straight delivery clatter into the stumps.Hazratullah Zazai began Afghanistan’s response positively, smashing Tim Murtagh for a six over long-on before clubbing two more fours in the bowler’s next over. However, the run-flow slowed after that and while trying to break the shackles, Zazai was caught off Barry McCarthy by O’Brien near long-on.Mohammad Shahzad and Rahmat Shah took the side to 90 without taking any risks before Boy Rankin dismissed both in quick succession. And when Hashmatullah Shahidi fell to Simi, Afghanistan were 104 for 4, still 58 away from their target.But with the asking rate always well under four, even the dot balls didn’t create enough pressure. Gulbadin Naib then swatted McCarthy for three fours – all towards midwicket – in the 37th over to put the issue beyond doubt. Soon after, he hit Rankin for two fours and a six before falling four short of his half-century. With nine required for victory, Najibullah Zadran smashed Dockrell for two sixes to seal the deal.

Normally a batsman would be grateful for an extra ball in a T20 match, but not this time. A miscalculation from the on-field umpires led to Michael Klinger being dismissed in controversial circumstances in the BBL match against Sydney Sixers at Perth Stadium.Michael Klinger leaves the field•Getty Images

Facing Ben Dwarshuis in the second over of Perth Scorchers’ chase, Klinger fell to the seventh legal delivery of the over when he upper cut a short ball to third man where Steve O’Keefe held a low catch.The catch went to the third umpire to confirm it was a clean take, meaning there was an extended stoppage in play, and by then the potential of it being a seven-ball over had been spotted by the host broadcaster, but the Laws stated that the dismissal had to stand. A quick tally up of the previous six deliveries confirmed there hadn’t been any no-balls or wides missed.Law 17.5.2 reads: “If the umpire miscounts the number of valid balls, the over as counted by the umpire shall stand.”Cricket Australia issued a statement confirming there was no way to overturn the dismissal, but send they would address the error in their post-match review.A CA spokesperson said: “It appears there was a miscount of balls in the over, and the seventh ball was allowed by umpires. As the ball was bowled it is deemed live and consequently the decision stands. The incident will be followed up in Cricket Australia’s general match review process and feedback will of course be taken on board.”

Joe Denly has admitted the prospect of earning a spot in England’s Ashes team is hard to ignore.Denly made his Test debut in Antigua becoming, aged 32, England’s oldest debutant since Alan Wells in 1995. While he didn’t enjoy the best of games, scoring 6 and 17 as England succumbed to a 10-wicket defeat inside three days, he seems certain to play in St Lucia, giving him another chance to show he can prosper at this level.While the Ashes does not start for six months, there is only one Test between this tour and that series – a four-day match against Ireland – and any success achieved now could establish him as the incumbent. So while Denly knows his focus has to be on the next game, he conceded the lure of the Ashes is pretty irresistible for a man who had all but given up any Test ambitions not so long ago.”Playing in an Ashes series is an absolute dream and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about it a little bit,” Denly said. “I hope the selectors see a future in me opening the batting in Test cricket.”These two Tests are a great opportunity for me to try and make that position mine. There’s a lot of time before the next Test in England but this Test coming up is a great chance to get a score and make myself a realistic option for them going into the summer.”But my focus has to be on the next game. It’s important not to think about it [the Ashes] as much as possible and have a real focus on trying to get a score in this next Test. I have to prove to those guys who think I am a stopgap or makeshift opener that I have got a future as an opener in Test cricket.”Joe Denly was not afraid to take on the short ball•Getty Images

Those doubts are understandable, though. Denly has not opened in Championship cricket for three-and-a-half years and, while most of the West Indies seam attack has experience in England, the step up from batting at No. 3 in Division Two of the County Championship to opening on a tricky surface was demanding.It wasn’t the most convincing performance, either. He was dropped on nought in the second innings and admits he was fortunate to survive a leg-before decision before he had scored in the first. He was ultimately caught behind off a wide long-hop in the first and bowled leaving in the second.”Umpire Chris Gaffaney did me a favour there,” he said. “When it hit me I thought it was quite close and was happy not to be given. Even when they reviewed I said to Jonny Bairstow ‘that’s close, probably hitting, hopefully umpire’s call’.”So, yes, I got away with one there. I got a duck on my first-class debut so to do it on my Test debut, that would have been not ideal.”This is a very hostile attack. They’ve certainly got a lot of pace. It was a tricky opening spell. It was like an early season first-class wicket in England. So it was challenging and to get through the first half-hour unscathed [was an achievement]. But then Alzarri Joseph bowled a rank long-hop… It was probably too wide to go at but, on that wicket, I felt I should latch on to any width. Unfortunately, I latched on with the toe-end of my bat.”It was a wicket where there was probably one with your name on, but to get out leaving [in the second innings] was very frustrating. That’s the only disappointing thing looking back on my debut: a rank long-hop and then not playing a shot. That’s pretty frustrating. I’d done the hard work.”Despite the disappointment, Denly said he enjoyed the experience hugely and has no regrets about missing out on some lucrative T20 cricket having spent much of the winter carrying drinks for England. He put his relatively relaxed temperament down to the experience of playing for England as a much younger man – he made his limited-overs debut in 2009 – and then coming to terms with the disappointment of it not working out.”It was actually pretty relaxed,” he said. “There was a flurry of emotions telling the family, but the whole build-up I felt very relaxed. That comes from having a taste of it before, it not going to plan, going back to first-class cricket and through some rough patches, before coming out the other end. Sometimes you build things up to be something they are not. I was very aware of that going into the Test, so I felt very relaxed.”This is absolutely the ultimate. I’d take this all day long. I think those T20 gigs in the last few years have played a part in me reaching this place now: they taught me about playing pressure situations against top players. But I’d give it all up to be here, that’s for sure.”

Big Picture

Both Test series between Bangladesh and West Indies this year panned out similarly, with the home team dominating. The ODI series, however, have been closer contests. After Bangladesh won the first ODI convincingly in Dhaka, West Indies bounced back with a tight win to level the series. The teams were in a similar situation in July this year, and it was Bangladesh who prevailed then, winning the final ODI to clinch the series 2-1. While hopes of an encore are alive for the hosts, the visitors, buoyed by the series-leveling win, would for their part hope to keep the trend of the away team winning the ODIs going.While West Indies were not entirely convincing in the second game, their first win on the tour sure was a much-needed boost. Shai Hope displayed guts to take them through in a difficult chase on a challenging pitch in Dhaka. He found little support at the other end but the starts that Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels got are little things the visitors can build on.Like many of them, stand-in captain Rovman Powell too is due runs, particularly quick ones, if West Indies are to impose themselves on the Bangladesh bowlers. Keemo Paul batted well in the first two games but his batting position suggests that his contributions are at this stage seen as a bonus. Overall, West Indies need all-round discipline in their bowling, and a bit more patience from their batsmen.Bangladesh would be wary of slip-ups in the decider. Losing wickets in clusters after a big partnership has been a long-term problem, and both seniors and newcomers have been afflicted with it. It might be slightly easier for batsmen to get going from the start in Sylhet, but guarding against a collapse has to be quite high on their priority list.Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan would all be disappointed with their fifties given how they were well set at the crease for bigger things. Mahmudullah would also not have been too pleased getting out in the 41st over, usually the time when he is at his destructive best.But Bangladesh also have to look beyond these four and Mashrafe Mortaza when looking for performers. Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar are due some runs, while Imrul Kayes may be fighting for his place in the side despite scoring 349 runs in Bangladesh’s previous ODI series, against Zimbabwe. If the trio can step up in this crunch game, it will ease the pressure off the big guns.

Form guide

Bangladesh LWWWW (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies WLLLW

In the spotlight

Analysts have already started to discuss Oshane Thomas‘ pace, which despite being wayward at times, has had somewhat of an impact on the Bangladesh batting. He has so far taken four wickets at an average of 22.00 in the series.Mustafizur Rahman has the best economy rate, 5.30, among bowlers who have bowled in the last five overs of an ODI on at least ten occasions since his debut. Therefore, he should treat his 16-run penultimate over in the second ODI as a one-off.

Team news

As it usually does after one or two low scores, a question mark will hang over Imrul Kayes’ place in the top order with Mohammad Mithun a likely replacement; in that case, Soumya Sarkar will bat at No 3. Rubel Hossain may well have staved off the vultures too, after a decent showing in the second game.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Liton Das, 3 Imrul Kayes, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Soumya Sarkar, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Mustafizur RahmanWest Indies may not want to tinker with their winning combination, which means Chandrapaul Hemraj gets another go.West Indies (probable): 1 Chandrapaul Hemraj, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Rovman Powell (capt), 8 Keemo Paul, 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Oshane Thomas

Pitch and conditions

Sylhet offers an altogether different pitch than Dhaka, with hope for truer bounce and a bit more pace on the ball. There’s usually dew around early evening. Weather is set to be clear.

Stats and trivia

• Shimron Hetmyer has scored three ODI hundreds this year – joint fourth in the world, closely followed by Shai Hope who has scored two.
• Mustafizur Rahman is Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in ODIs this year with 29 scalps at an average of 20.58. Mashrafe Mortaza has taken 24 wickets, while Rubel Hossain has 23.

Quotes

“We have come here to win the games. We came here to fight and make sure we finish the series 2-1.”