Important runs and early wickets were the reason for Bangladesh’s 124-run win over Zimbabwe in the third ODI in Mirpur, which also gave them the series with two matches in hand.
The visitors sunk to a new low, recording their biggest loss in terms of runs to Bangladesh in an ODI on the back of a whitewash in the Test series. This time Zimbabwe were chasing a daunting target of 298; only once have they chased a score that high to win. There was no repeat tonight as they were bowled out for 173 runs in 39.5 overs, with Arafat Sunny picking up four wickets for a second time in as many matches. Mashrafe Mortaza and Rubel Hossain took two wickets while Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah picked up one each. But it was the runs Bangladesh had posted which were decisive.
Two polar opposite partnerships set Bangladesh on their 297-run pedestal: First came a steady 120-run accumulation between Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque which was built on by Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, who added 72 off 48 for the fourth wicket. Mahmudullah and Sabbir Rahman then provided the late flourish as Bangladesh carted 103 runs in the last 10 overs.
Tamim and Anamul batted for 25.5 overs and were pried apart by a run-out. A slight mix-up was followed by Tamim losing his grip on the bat while trying to slide it to safety. Both his feet were in the air as the stumps were broken. It was his second run-out in consecutive matches, after he had made 40 off 63 balls with two fours, and a six hit over long-on in the first over.
Anamul reached 50 off 66 balls, but played out 12 overs from 20.4 to 32.4 without a boundary. He eventually got nine fours in his 120-ball innings, a flick through square-leg and a lofted drive over cover standing out. He picked up four of his boundaries through third man and fine leg, and scored 39 runs behind square on either side of the wicket.
Anamul fell five runs short of a fourth ODI hundred when he found deep midwicket off a Tafadzwa Kamungozi long-hop in the 36th over. Shakib and Mushfiqur got together at this point and smartly negotiating Bangladesh’s traditional bogey period – the second Powerplay – before launching into the Zimbabwe attack.
Aside from the early movement, the visitors’ bowlers were largely ineffective and at times quite ordinary. Only Tinashe Panyangara stood firm with his 2-54, bowling a good first spell and capping things off well at the death.
The others were wayward though and Shakib and Mushfiqur took advantage, hammering 45 runs in the three overs from the 41st. They fell in the 44th over, Shakib to a miscued pull and Mushfiqur dragging a Panyangara delivery onto his stumps. Mahmudullah and Sabbir got together and carried on the good work, adding 46 runs off 30 deliveries. Mahmudullah looked to be in good form, profiting from his wristwork to make an unbeaten 26-ball 33, while Sabbir also showcased his ability as a finisher with a 13-ball 22, including a reverse hit through third-man.
Zimbabwe needed their top order to stand up if they had any chance of overhauling the target, but Mashrafe would not let them. He had Vusi Sibanda top-edging a pull to deep square leg in the third over. Masakadza was the Bangladesh captain’s next victim, caught down the leg side, but replays showed the batsman had not hit it. Masakadza had stood at the crease in disbelief and there were some heated exchanges as he left the field.
Bangladesh lost Shafiul Islam to a strain on his right thigh but Rubel Hossain, who replaced him, took the third wicket having Timycen Maruma caught at mid-on for 8 off 16 balls. Maruma was playing in place of Sikandar Raza, but he couldn’t do justice to the chance.
Brendan Taylor survived three leg-before shouts, and could have been stumped in the 13th over but he used those chances to try and get Zimbabwe back on track. He added 41 runs for the fourth wicket before Solomon Mire ran past Sunny, who had been the unlucky bowler with the Taylor opportunity, and Mushfiqur compensated well.
Taylor, who had struck five boundaries including two beautifully lofted drives through cover, was out six balls later, trapped leg-before to Shakib for 28. Playing from the crease has not worked in this tour for Zimbabwe’s best player of spin. Sunny removed Neville Madziva and Panyangara off successive balls in the 36th over, before Kamungozi became his fourth wicket in the 40th over. Amid all this, the Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura was unbeaten on 53 off 46 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes, but his resistance was a mere footnote.
Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal run out (Taylor/Masakadza) 40
Anamul Haque c sub (SW Masakadza) b Kamungozi 95
Mominul Haque c Maruma b Masakadza 15
Shakib Al Hasan c Chigumbura b Panyangara 40
Mushfiqur Rahim b Panyangara 33
Mahmudullah not out 33
Sabbir Rahman c Maruma b Madziva 22
Mashrafe Mortaza not out 2
Extras (lb 10, w 4, nb 3) 17
Total (6 wickets; 50 overs; 220 mins) 297
Did not batArafat Sunny, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam
Fall of wickets 1-121 (Tamim Iqbal, 25.5 ov), 2-160 (Mominul Haque, 33.4 ov), 3-167 (Anamul Haque, 35.1 ov), 4-239 (Shakib Al Hasan, 43.1 ov), 5-244 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 43.6 ov), 6-290 (Sabbir Rahman, 48.6 ov)
Bowling
T Panyangara 10-0-54-2, N Madziva 9-0-60-1, E Chigumbura 3-0-18-0, T Kamungozi 10-0-40-1, T Maruma 2-0-15-0, V Sibanda 10-0-64-0, H Masakadza 5-0-25-1, SF Mire 1-0-11-0
Zimbabwe
H Masakadza c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Mashrafe Mortaza 12
V Sibanda c Arafat Sunny b Mashrafe Mortaza 9
T Maruma c Mashrafe Mortaza b Rubel Hossain 8
BRM Taylor lbw b Shakib Al Hasan 28
SF Mire st †Mushfiqur Rahim b Arafat Sunny 12
RW Chakabva b Mahmudullah 14
E Chigumbura not out 53
PJ Moor lbw b Rubel Hossain 2
N Madziva c sub (Imrul Kayes) b Arafat Sunny 11
T Panyangara b Arafat Sunny 0
T Kamungozi b Arafat Sunny 4
Extras (b 8, lb 1, w 11) 20
Total (all out; 39.5 overs; 164 mins) 173
Fall of wickets 1-9 (Sibanda, 2.2 ov), 2-22 (Masakadza, 4.1 ov), 3-39 (Maruma, 7.6 ov), 4-80 (Mire, 17.6 ov), 5-82 (Taylor, 18.6 ov), 6-119 (Chakabva, 27.4 ov), 7-126 (Moor, 30.2 ov), 8-153 (Madziva, 35.5 ov), 9-153 (Panyangara, 35.6 ov), 10-173 (Kamungozi, 39.5 ov)
Bowling
Mashrafe Mortaza 7-2-24-2, Shafiul Islam 2.1-0-20-0, Rubel Hossain 5.5-0-22-2, Sabbir Rahman 2-0-16-0, Arafat Sunny 8.5-0-27-4, Shakib Al Hasan 7-1-19-1, Mahmudullah 5-0-29-1, Mominul Haque 2-0-7-0
MATCH DETAILS
Toss – Zimbabwe, who chose to field
Series – Bangladesh led the 5-match series 3-0
ODI debut – PJ Moor (Zimbabwe)
Player of the match – Anamul Haque (Bangladesh)
Umpires – Anisur Rahman and CB Gaffaney (New Zealand)
TV umpire – Sharfuddoula
Match referee – RS Madugalle (Sri Lanka)
Reserve umpire – Mahfuzur Rahman
