Samuels, Simmons shine

• Half-centuries from duo set up series win

DHFAKA, Bangladesh (CMC):

Marlon Samuels and Lendl Simmons stroked attractive half-centuries as West Indies beat Bangladesh by eight wickets in the second one-day international here yesterday to wrap up only their second one-day series win in three years.

Chasing Bangladesh's moderate 220 all out off 48.5 overs, West Indies were propelled to their target by Samuels' unbeaten 88 and Simmons' 80.

The pair posted 111 for the second wicket after Danza Hyatt (39) and Simmons had laid the platform for the run-chase with a measured 71-run opening stand.

Samuels faced 74 balls, striking 12 fours and one six to record his second successive half-century, while Simmons fell short of a second straight hundred, stroking three fours and three sixes off 125 balls.

Earlier, captain Mushfiqur Rahim hit 69 and Nasir Hossain, 50, to engineer a Bangladesh fightback after they tottered at 18 for four in the fifth over.

Mushfiqur combined with Naeem Islam (30) to add 57 for the sixrth wicket and stabilise the innings, while Nasir posted a further 41 from 37 balls for the eighth wicket with Abdur Razzak (25), to provide late impetus.

Speedster Kemar Roach grabbed three for 49 while pacer Ravi Rampaul (2-27) and captain and medium pacer Darren Sammy (2-42), finished with two wickets apiece.

The win gave West Indies an unassailable lead in the three-match series. Their only other ODI series win in recent years came against Zimbabwe last March in the Caribbean.

They had previously beaten Sri Lanka 2-0 in a three-match series in the Caribbean back in 2008.