Chronicle Editor
Bangladesh 322 for 8 (Iqbal 158, Tiripano 2-55) beat Zimbabwe 318 for 8 (Raza 66, Tiripano 55*, Islam 3-52) by four runs
TAMIM Iqbal’s 158, the highest score by a Bangladesh batsman in ODIs, led the way for the home side as they survived a late onslaught from Donald Tiripano to win by four runs.
Tamim surpassed his own record of 154 made against the same opponents in 2009.
Bangladesh’s 322/8 was also their highest score against Zimbabwe in ODIs, beating the record they set just two days ago in the first ODI.
Despite the early run outs of Liton Das for 9, and Najmul Hossain Shanto for 6, Tamim’s quick scoring prevented the visitors from taking hold of the game.
Mushfiqur Rahim stuck around, and together with the experienced opener put on 87 for the third wicket, with the No.4 racking up 55 of those before he couldn’t quite get a good enough connection to clear long on, Wesley Madhevere the bowler to benefit.
Mahmudullah, too, provided support for the opener, and Tamim passed the hundred mark in the 37th over from his 106th ball faced.
It broke a lean run for the aggressive left-handed batsman, with his last ODI century coming in July 2018, representing a 23-innings streak without a ton.
He wasn’t finished there though, and together with Mahmudullah proceeded to break a 10-over boundary drought only to then plunder 39 runs from the next 12 balls, including 24 from a single Tinotenda Mutombodzi over.
Mahmudullah’s dismissal did nothing to stem the runs, as new man Mohammad Mithun joined Tamim in teeing off. The 30-year-old opener reached his 150 just 25 balls after having reached his 100, and passed his previous ODI high score of 154 by hitting his third maximum before he was caught at long off.
Mithun kept the innings moving despite a late flurry of wickets, hitting a boundary from the last ball to take the hosts past the 321/6 they had posted in the first ODI.
A maiden international fifty for Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, playing his fifth ODI, was the anchor early in Zimbabwe’s innings, keeping them in touch of the chase despite the wickets of Regis Chakabva and Brendan Taylor falling before the end of the first Powerplay, the latter falling victim to a superb piece of fielding from Mehidy Hasan.
Skipper Sean Williams was also dismissed before the opener, trapped leg-before by a Mehidy quicker ball. Kamunhukamwe brought up his fifty but fell shortly after, bowled as he attempted to cart away a ball from Taijul Islam which deceived him in the flight.
Nineteen-year-old Madhevere, playing just his second ODI, took charge though, and together with Sikandar Raza continued to build the Zimbabwe innings towards a good total. The young all-rounder batted his way calmly towards a maiden international half-century of his own.
But Taijul again removed the half-centurion, this time with the very next ball he faced, the slow-left-armer sliding one into the right-hander’s pads to earn another LBW decision.
Raza became the third batsman to pass fifty for the visitors, his 15th in the format, but he too did not last long after the landmark. Taking some necessary risks as the required rate rose beyond 10 an over, he was caught at third man for 66 as he searched for a third boundary from Mashrafe Mortaza’s ninth over.
That brought Donald Tiripano to the crease, and he combined in a barnstorming effort with Mutombodzi for the eighth wicket, putting on 80 runs in 7.3 overs before the latter was caught at long on in the final over. That left 18 runs to get from the last four balls with Tiripano on strike.
The next two balls were sent high over long on’s head to complete a trio of maiden international half-centuries for Zimbabwe with Tiripano moving onto 54 from just 26 balls. But he was only able to muster a single from the final two balls, with Al-Amin Hossain holding his nerve to seal a four-run victory for Bangladesh.
The third and final ODI will be played tomorrow at the same venue. — ICC-Cricket
Online Reporter