Denesh Ramdin and Darren Bravo hit centuries in a record partnership as the West Indies completed a clean sweep of the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh with a 91-run victory.
Ramdin blazed 169 and dominated a 258-run third-wicket partnership with Bravo (124) to pace the West Indies to 338 for seven batting first. It was the highest partnership for any wicket for the Caribbean side in ODIs while the total was their fifth-highest.
Needing a monumental effort to even be competitive after their capitulation for just 70 in the second one-dayer in Grenada three days earlier, Bangladesh were boosted by a 99-run third-wicket stand between Tamim Iqbal (55) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim.
But they were never really in the hunt and could only manage 247 for eight in reply.
Ravi Rampaul was the pick of the West Indies bowlers in finishing with four for 29. Ramdin’s effort, highlighted by 11 sixes and eight fours off 121 balls, equalled batting legend Brian Lara for the third-highest individual innings by a West Indian in ODIs.
Only Vivian Richards, arguably the greatest of the many batting masters from the Caribbean, has higher individual scores – 189 not out against England in Manchester in 1984 and 181 against Sri Lanka at the 1987 World Cup in Karachi.
“Darren (Bravo) said someone had to bat through the innings and I put my hand up to do it today,” said Ramdin, who also took both the man of the match and man of the series honours. Bravo may have been overshadowed by the wicketkeeper-batsman’s big hitting, but he eventually unfurled his most fluent and powerful shots, hammering eight sixes and seven fours off 127 deliveries
“Our bowlers did well up front but we couldn’t capitalise because of some mistakes, including my own,” said captain Rahim on his team’s effort in the field.