DHAKA, Bangladesh (CMC):

As a strike in Dhaka led to the suspension of the second day's play of the four-day match between Bangladesh A and West Indies Sagicor High Performance Centre yesterday, Sheldon Cotterell said he was proud of the way he toiled with the ball to help give his team an early advantage on the opening day.

Cotterell, a strapping 23-year-old left-arm fast bowler, took four for 15 off 9.1 overs as Bangladesh A were dismissed for 199 in their first innings after winning the toss at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium. The HPC closed on 14 without loss.

"It was a hard day for me, but I just kept my lengths and my lines right and bowling aggressive as usual on a flat pitch and my hard work paid off," Cotterell said.

He reckoned it was a combination of many things that he had learned over the years and his experience at the Sagicor HPC, which helped him to reap success in difficult conditions.

"I kept things simple," he said. "I bowled and put fear in the batsmen with my short balls and then the pitched-up delivery was right up there with control, very straight, and it worked."

Cotterell and fellow opening bowler Carlos Brathwaite, the Sagicor HPC captain, were unsuccessful with the new ball, but kept things extremely tight up front.

A soldier in the Jamaican army, Cotterell returned to destroy the Bangladesh A tail with a lethally accurate spell, armed with the second new ball as he accounted for the last four wickets.

"I love to bowl to the tail-enders because they tend to shy away from the pace and I try to soften them up from early with the short stuff and then try to get them out," he said.