CHITTAGONG: Kyle Mayers scored a stunning double hundred on his debut as West Indies shocked Bangladesh by three wickets in the first Test in Chittagong on Sunday.

Mayers hit an unbeaten 210 from 310 balls — with 20 fours and seven sixes — to guide his side to 395-7 with just nine balls left on the final day.

West Indies, who are on tour without most of their first choice players because of the coronavirus pandemic, beat the best run chase in Asia, set by Sri Lanka who hit 388 to beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in Colombo in 2017.

Mayers, the second West Indies player to get a double hundred on his debut after Laurence Rowe and sixth overall, was brilliantly aided by fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner, who hit 86.

Resuming on 110-3, the pair put on 216 for the fourth wicket to frustrate Bangladesh’s bowlers until they were separated by left-arm spinner Taijul Islam.

Taijul trapped Bonner leg-before in the first over after tea to end the highest fourth wicket partnership for West Indies in the fourth innings of a Test. They beat the record of Len Baichan and Clive Lloyd, who scored 164 against Pakistan at Lahore in 1975. Jermaine Blackwood was stumped for nine by Nayeem Hasan as West Indies pressed for victory.

But Mayers put on exactly 100 runs with Joshua Da Silva to take the visitors close to the target.

By the time Taijul Islam bowled Da Silva, West Indies were only three runs from victory. Mehidy Hasan, who took all three wickets on the previous day, got only the consolation wicket of Kemar Roach when the score was tied. An eerie silence gripped the Bangladesh team tent as Mayers pushed Nayeem at long off for single to complete the win.

Mayers’ innings is the highest individual collection for West Indies in the fourth innings of a Test since Brian Lara stunned Australia with 153 runs in Bridgetown in 1999. “I’m always positive and believed in my ability, and believed that we could get there. We never give up, and keep fighting,” Mayers said. “It’s a great feeling to be playing Test cricket, and then going on to score 100, 200 and then to win the match,” he said.

Scoreboard

Bangladesh first innings 430 (Mehidy 103, Shakib 68, Shadman 59; Jomel Warrican 4-133)

West Indies first innings 259 (Kraigg Brathwaite 76, Jermaine Blackwood 68; Mehidy Hasan 4-58)

Bangladesh second innings 223-8 declared (Mominul Haque 115, Liton Das 69; Jomel Warrican 3-57, Rahkeem Cornwall 3-81)

============================================West Indies second innings (overnight 110-3)============================================K. Brathwaite c sub b Mehidy              20J. Campbell lbw b Mehidy                  23S. Moseley lbw b Mehidy                   12N. Bonner lbw b Taijul                    86K. Mayers not out                        210J. Blackwood st Liton b Nayeem             9J. Da Silva b Taijul Islam                20K. Roach c sub-b Mehidy                    0R. Cornwall not out                        0--------------------------------------------Extras: (b11, lb4)                        15--------------------------------------------Total: (7 wkts; 127.3 overs)             395--------------------------------------------Did not bat: Shannon Gabriel, Jomel Warrican

Fall of wickets: 1-39 (Campbell), 2-48 (Brathwaite), 3-59 (Moseley) 4-275 (Bonner), 5-292 (Blackwood), 6-392 (Da Silva), 7-394 (Roach)

Bowling: Mustafizur 13-1-71-0, Taijul 45-18-91-2, Mehidy 35-3-113-4, Nayeem 34.3-4-105-1

Result: West Indies win by three wickets

Series Result: West Indies lead series 1-0

Toss: Bangladesh

Umpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG), Sharfuddoula Saikat (BAN)

TV umpire: Gazi Sohel (BAN)

Match referee: Neeyamur Rashid Rahul (BAN).—AFP