Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi-Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE start was not so good.
But the finishing was simply sensational as Zimbabwe rallied back to beat Bangladesh by 14 runs and claim the One Day International cricket series in a roller-coaster match that finished under the lights at the Harare Sports Club yesterday.
Just like the first match, which they won from a difficult position at the same venue on Monday, Zimbabwe were made to sweat as they took a 2-0 series-winning lead ahead of the final match tomorrow.
In front of a small but enthusiastic crowd, Zimbabwe yesterday successfully defended 247/6, after bowling out Bangladesh for 234 in 48.1 overs under floodlights.
Captain Richard Ngarava led from the front with figures of 3 for 55, while fellow seamers Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans chipped in with two wickets apiece to complete another memorable victory for the hosts.
However, the stand-out performer was opening batter Ben Curran, whose unbeaten century laid the foundation for Zimbabwe’s triumph. The left-hander was named Player of the Match after carrying his bat through the innings for a magnificent 111 not out off 135 deliveries.
“Obviously, the conditions play slightly differently in winter, so to get to that total was a good effort,” said Curran.
Curran virtually held the Zimbabwe innings together as Zimbabwe negotiated an early morning wobble and posted a decent score.
With two hundreds and two fifties in his last five matches, Curran yesterday picked up his rich form with nine fours in this robust innings.
“We had not played ODIs in a while, so I was trying to take confidence from my previous series, albeit that was a long time ago.
“I was trying to stick to my processes and after losing those wickets, had no choice but to bat through,” said Curran.
Zimbabwe went into the match with high hopes after winning the low-scoring opening match of the series by 25 runs on Monday.
But nothing was guaranteed yesterday after Bangladesh won the toss and then sent the hosts to bat first on a patch so challenging in the winter mornings.
The visitors made good of the conditions that aided the pace bowlers. Led by skipper Taskin Ahmed (2-57), Nahid Rana, and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz (2-32), the Bangladeshi bowlers gave the Chevrons their worst possible start.
Zimbabwe, fielding an unchanged team that won the first ODI on Monday, suffered a setback almost instantly when they lost Brian Bennett in the first over by Ahmed, with no scores on the board.
Ahmed returned and inflicted more damage when he removed Innocent Kaia (4), and Zimbabwe were two wickets down with just eight runs in the bag in the third over.
The slide continued as Craig Ervine (9), Wessly Madhevere (15), Sikandar Raza (33), and Clive Madande (4) failed to rescue the situation.
But Curran kept the little hopes flickering despite the wickets collapsing around him.
The 30-year-old anchored the innings well and featured in two key partnerships as he batted through the 50 overs.
After surviving the challenging morning session for the Zimbabwe batters, Curran and Raza navigated well through the middle overs.
Curran first combined with Raza in a crucial fifth-wicket stand worth 68 runs that helped stabilise the innings and carry Zimbabwe beyond the 100-run mark.
Although Raza eventually fell to Miraz, Curran continued to hold one end together while wickets tumbled around him.
The decisive moment of the innings arrived when Brad Evans joined him at the crease with Zimbabwe struggling at 148/6.
Evans produced an explosive counterattack, smashing an unbeaten 58 off just 38 deliveries in a career-best ODI effort. The all-rounder struck two fours and five towering sixes as he transformed the complexion of the contest. Together, Curran and Evans unleashed a stunning unbeaten seventh-wicket partnership of 99 runs from only 80 balls, lifting Zimbabwe from a vulnerable position to a competitive 247/6.
While Curran celebrated his second ODI century, Evans also reached a major milestone with his maiden ODI half-century.
But Bangladesh’s response ensured the contest remained finely balanced.
The visitors recovered well after losing Soumya Sarkar (5) and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (9) early in their chase. Unlike in the opening ODI, when they failed to overhaul a modest target of 141, the Tigers showed far greater application.
Tanzid Hasan played a superb innings of 57, while Towhid Hridoy contributed 60 to keep Bangladesh firmly in contention for large parts of the chase.
But Zimbabwe’s bowlers continued to ask questions and gradually tightened their grip on proceedings.
As natural light began to fade late in the innings, tensions rose with Bangladesh expressing concerns over visibility and seeking a stoppage. At one stage, the tourists, who believed they were ahead on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculations, appeared keen for the match to be decided by the regulations.
However, match officials insisted play continue under the floodlights in accordance with the agreed playing conditions.
Zimbabwe remained focused amid the uncertainty, striking at crucial moments to derail the visitors’ chase before finally dismissing Bangladesh for 234.
The victory capped another impressive all-round performance by the Chevrons and confirmed a deserved series triumph after back-to-back comeback wins.
The two teams meet again in the third and final ODI tomorrow, although the contest will now be a dead rubber. Attention will then shift to Bulawayo, where the sides are scheduled to contest a three-match Twenty20 International series next week.
