adminBANGLADESH opening batsman Soumya Sarkar’s fifty along with quick-fire cameos by captain Mahmudullah and Shamim Hossain helped visitors chase down a challenging total of 194 with five balls and five wickets to spare against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club yesterday.
Sarkar scored 68 runs in 49 balls with the help of nine boundaries and one maximum. While Mahmudullah hit 34 runs in 28 balls followed by Hossain’s 15 balls 31.
The Chevrons were also left to rue their unpolished bowling and fielding after conceding 18 extras, double the figure given away by their opponents. The field let down the good work by the batsmen as Zimbabwe lost the closely contested series 2-1.
Earlier, Zimbabwe opening Wesley Madhevere had continued his great form to score a fifty to help his side post a challenging total of 193/5 in 20 overs.
Zimbabwe won the toss and opted to bat first in the series decider, the openers Madhevere and Tadiwanashe Marumani posted 63 runs in the first six overs.
Marumani fell against Mohammad Saifuddin on the last ball of the powerplay on 27 runs in just 20 balls, with the help of two fours and as many sixes.
Madhevere and Wicket-keeper batsman Regis Chakabva built a fifty partnership to take the team’s score past 100.
Chakabva, who has been in great form during the series, also scored a quick-fire 48 in just 22 balls to push the visitors further on the backfoot.
The visitors’ captain Mahmudullah brought Soumya Sarkar in attack, who dismissed Chakabva in the 12th over of the innings.
Chakabva missed out on a well-deserved fifty by two runs. The 33-year old was belligerent with the bat, hitting half a dozen sixes. Zimbabwe suffered a double blow as the host captain Sikandar Raza was sent back to the pavilion by Sarkar on a duck in the same over.
Madhevere was going strong and he completed his fifty; his second in as many games. In the 16th over, Shakib Al Hasan dismissed him on 54 runs in just 36 balls. Madhevere hit six fours in his innings.
In the end, Dion Myers and Ryan Burl gave the host the much-needed finishing touch by scoring 23 and 31 respectively.
For visitors, Soumya Sarkar was the peak of the bowlers with two wickets to his name in three overs.
He gave away just 19 runs. Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin and Shakib Al Hasan picked one wicket each. — Inside Sport/Sports Reporter.
Online Reporter