Poor batting costs Zimbabwe

six-wicket loss to Bangladesh at Queens Sports Club here yesterday.
The tourists trail the five game series 1-3 after Zimbabwe clinched the series at Harare Sports Club before the games were moved to Bulawayo.
Captain Brendan Taylor upped his game to score 106 off 137 balls with, seven fours and a six, but his fourth ODI century was not enough to give Zimbabwe another win, dashing their hopes of a whitewash.
His fifth wicket partnership stand of 95 runs with Elton Chigumbura (31) seemed to have breathed life into the lifeless Zimbabwe batting performance but the middle order and the tail enders were not able to handle the Bangladesh attack.
Zimbabwe’s last six wickets went for just 16 runs and there was nothing Taylor’s century could have done to prevent certain defeat and coach Alan Butcher was not impressed with the way his charges played.
“We played very poorly today and I am not happy with the way the boys played,” he said.
“This is something we wanted to avoid because we saw what they were capable of doing in the third ODI.
“But our batting was not consistent and Bangladesh took advantage of that weakness and, of course, there were some injury concerns in our side and that is why we had to rest (Brian) Vitori.
“In Harare he was on and off with his calf and shin but we are hopeful he will be fit for the next game because we really want to win it as it is very important to us. We would rather win 4-1 than 3-2.
“But our performance was not good enough for us to win and I do not think that the players were complacent, they know best within themselves if they were but they did not show so since the beginning of the innings.
“Bangladesh played better today and they showed signs of doing so in the last game in Harare but I am sure we will come back in the final game.”
Maybe it was the change of both the venue and some technical personnel, as Vitori was dropped, which condemned Zimbabwe.
Raymond Price and Malcom Waller found their way into the XI.
Captain Taylor ended his poor batting run in the series with a century built on a good batting performance where he exhibited mature and responsible batting but his efforts were not enough to see his side get another win over the Tigers.
Good fielding and wicket keeping from the Bangladesh ensured that the Zimbabwe mid order and tail-enders had to endure a torrid time.
It was the hand of Rubel Hossain, who finished with figures of 4-31, which choked Zimbabwe.
In the Zimbabwe batting powerplay, Rubel made light work of the hosts who lost their last six wickets for just 16 runs.
Opener Tamim Iqbal (61) finally came good with the bat, with a knock worthy his status, as Bangladesh were successful in their chase, giving his side their first win in the series.
Vusi Sibanda was the first to go as Zimbabwe batted when he was drawn forward by Shafiul’s out swinger.
Although wickets tumbled around him, Taylor remained steadfast on the crease working his way to his fourth ODI century.
Hamilton Masakadza was the next to go without scoring after he facing six deliveries, when he was caught behind ‘keeper Mushfiqur Rahim off a Mahmudullah delivery.
Former captain Tatenda Taibu, Foster Mutizwa, Kyle Jarvis and Chris Mpofu, who was unbeaten on one, all had single digit scores while Masakadza, Prosper Utseya and Raymond Price failed to put any runs on the board.
Scorecard
Zimbabwe
Taylor c Mahmudullah b R Hossain 106
Sibanda c Mushfiqur b S Islam 18
Masakadza c Mushfiqur b Mahmudullah 0
Taibu run out (N Hossain/ Mushfiqur) 7
Mutizwa c Mushfiqur b Al Hassan 9
Chigumbura c N. Hossain b R. Hossain 31
Waller b R. Hossain 12
Utseya b S Islam 0
Price c Mushfiqur b R Hossain 0
Jarvis b Razzak 1
Mpofu not out 1
Extras 14
Total 199 1
F-o-W: 1-40 ( Sibanda 8.5ov), 2-53 (Masakadza 12.5ov), 3-69 (Taibu
17.4ov), 4-89 (Mutizwa 21.4ov), 5-183 (Chigumbura 43.3 ov), 6-184
(Taylor 43.5ov), 7-196 (Waller 45.2ov), 8-196 (Price 45.4ov), 9-196
(Utseya 46.3ov) 10-199 (Jarvis 48.2ov)
Bowling: S. Islam 10-0-47-2 (2w); R. Hossain 9-1-31-4 (1w); Razzak
9.2-0-31-1(2w); Mahmudullah 9-0-36-1 (2w); Al Hasan 6-0-25-1 (1w); Hom
2-0-9-0; N. Hossain 3-0-14-0.
Bangladesh

Iqbal lbw b Price 61
Kayes c Masakadza b Mpofu 28
Siddue c Jarvis b Utseya 14
M. Rahim c Sibanda b Jarvis 16
hakib Al Hasan not out 39
Shuvagoto Hom not out 35
Extras (lb 1, w 9) 10
Total 203
Did not bat: Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain,
Nasir Hossain
F-o-W: 1-46 (Imrul Kayes, 4.4 ov), 2-72 (Junaid Siddique, 9.6 ov),
3-122 (Tamim Iqbal, 20.6 ov), 4-129 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 23.5 ov)
Bowling: Mpofu 10-0-49-1 (3w); Jarvis 6-0-44-1 (1w); Utseya 10-0-65-1 (1w); Price 9-1-35-1 (3w); Waller 1-0-5-0; Masakadza 0.4-0-4-0.