Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu in Bulawayo
Zimbabwe 170 for 6 (Bennett 44, Rana 4 for 26) beat Bangladesh 138 (Yasir 54, Muzarabani 4 for 17, Ngarava 4 for 26) by 32 runs
ZIMBABWE may have taken a commanding 1-0 lead in the three-match Twenty20 International series against Bangladesh with a convincing 32-run victory at Queens Sports Club on Wednesday, but captain Sikandar Raza believes his side can be even more clinical and ruthless to put teams to the sword.
Despite a disciplined bowling display that dismissed Bangladesh for 138 after Zimbabwe had posted 170 for 6, Raza believes there is room for improvement heading into the second match at the same venue tomorrow.
“We’re about to discuss what we need to improve in the changing room and hopefully you will see a lot more clinical performance from Zimbabwe come Friday, Inshallah,” said Raza after the match.
The victory continued Zimbabwe’s strong recent run against Bangladesh in the shortest format, but Raza made it clear that the dressing room was not interested in celebrating a single win.
Instead, the focus is on continual improvement as Zimbabwe seek to become a more competitive force in international T20 cricket.
The Zimbabwe skipper said one of the biggest changes in the team’s approach has been the decision to field eight recognised batters, a move designed to encourage fearless cricket and increase the team’s scoring potential.
Raza believes the modern T20 game has evolved significantly and that Zimbabwe cannot afford to remain a side that consistently posts totals in the region of 160 or 170.
“I feel world cricket has gone forward, and I feel like Zimbabwe has been a very good 160-170 team. And I feel if we do not improve and challenge ourselves to up-skill ourselves to try and get to 200, I think we’ll be left behind from the rest of the world,” he said.
He explained that the extra batting depth gives players greater confidence to attack once they are established at the crease.
According to Raza, the strategy is not simply about scoring more runs but about changing Zimbabwe’s mindset to match the aggressive nature of modern T20 cricket.
Queens Sports Club has traditionally favoured teams batting first, and Zimbabwe’s total of 170 gave their bowlers a strong platform to defend.
The Chevrons posted 170 for 6 after being sent in to bat, with Brian Bennett laying the foundation through an attacking 44 off 30 balls that included six fours and a six.
Ryan Burl provided the finishing touch with an unbeaten 30 off 25 deliveries, while Brad Evans produced a valuable late cameo of an unbeaten 19 off just 10 balls, striking four boundaries to lift Zimbabwe to a competitive total.
Tadiwanashe Marumani gave Zimbabwe a brisk start with a 14-ball 20, hitting two sixes before he was dismissed by Nahid Rana, who was Bangladesh’s standout bowler with figures of 4 for 26.
Raza chipped in with a quickfire 20 off 13 balls before falling to Mohammad Saifuddin, who claimed 2 for 35, while Milton Shumba (11) and Tashinga Musekiwa departed cheaply as Bangladesh prevented Zimbabwe from accelerating further.
In reply, Bangladesh struggled against Zimbabwe’s pace attack from the outset.
Zimbabwe’s victory was underpinned by another devastating display from player of the match Richard Ngarava and fellow pace spearhead Blessing Muzarabani, who shared eight wickets to dismantle Bangladesh’s batting line-up.
On a surface that did not offer consistent assistance to the seamers, the tall fast-bowling pair created problems through extra bounce and relentless accuracy, conceding just 43 runs in their combined eight overs.
Bangladesh senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin admitted that Zimbabwe’s pace duo of Ngarava and Muzarabani once again proved difficult to handle, saying the visitors needed a better plan to counter the two fast bowlers ahead of the remaining matches in the series.
Salahuddin said Ngarava and Muzarabani had troubled Bangladesh throughout the tour, including the Test and ODI series, and their ability to extract extra bounce from the Queens Sports Club surface made the difference in the opening T20 International.
“Ngarava and Muzarabani bowled really well. We did not bat well against those two bowlers. We need to be a little bit smarter in those situations,” said Salahuddin.
“Zimbabwe has two bowlers who always get extra bounce from any wicket because they are very tall. That is the main thing we have to think about in the next match — how we handle those two guys because they took eight wickets. Even in the Test series and ODI series, those two bowlers gave us a lot of trouble.”
Yasir Ali offered Bangladesh hope with a fighting 54 off 38 balls, including two fours and three sixes, but Ngarava removed him at a crucial stage to end any realistic hopes of a comeback.
Ngarava also dismissed Saif Hassan (12), Tanzid Hasan (16), and Mohammad Saifuddin (1) to finish with figures of 4 for 26.
Muzarabani was equally impressive, returning 4 for 17 after accounting for Parvez Hossain Emon (5), Mahedi Hasan (19), Nasum Ahmed (2), and Nahid Rana (0).
Bangladesh lost wickets at regular intervals, with only Yasir Ali and Mahedi Hasan offering any meaningful resistance after the early collapse.
Zimbabwe will take confidence from a commanding all-round performance as they head into tomorrow’s second T20I at Queens Sports Club seeking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Fall of wickets
Zimbabwe: 1-37 (Tadiwanashe Marumani, 3.3 ov), 2-75 (Dion Myers, 8.5 ov), 3-90 (Brian Bennett, 10.5 ov), 4-116 (Sikandar Raza, 13.4 ov), 5-139 (Milton Shumba, 17.2 ov), 6-139 (Tashinga Musekiwa, 17.3 ov)
Bangladesh: 1-25 (Saif Hassan, 3.3 ov), 2-30 (Tanzid Hasan, 3.6 ov), 3-34 (Parvez Hossain Emon, 4.4 ov), 4-73 (Towhid Hridoy, 9.3 ov), 5-78 (Nurul Hasan, 10.3 ov), 6-130 (Mahedi Hasan, 16.4 ov), 7-130 (Yasir Ali, 17.1 ov), 8-134 (Mohammad Saifuddin, 17.5 ov), 9-138 (Nasum Ahmed, 18.1 ov), 10-138 (Nahid Rana, 18.6 ov)
