Zim target series win

today if they beat Bangladesh in the third One Day International at Harare Sports Club.
Winning this game would be a big feat for Zimbabwe who last week won their first Test match after six years away from the longer version of the game last week by beating the Tigers at the same Venue.

And winning the ODI series would just put the icing on the cake.
With Zimbabwe aiming for a win today they will kill the series as a contest having taken a 2-0 lead over the Tigers on Sunday, and a win today would see Zimbabwe getting a rare series win before the games move to Bulawayo on Friday.

Victory smells so close for the hosts and a win here will see Zimbabwe getting an ODI series win against a Test playing nation since August 2006 when they beat the same side 3-2 at home.
Of cause debutante Brian Vitori has been in top form setting the base for Zimbabwe’s wins in both the Test and the ODIs where he carved his name into the history books in each of the ODI games.
First he was recorded for being the first Zimbabwean to get a five wicket haul on his ODI debut on Friday and on Sunday he became the first man to grab 10 wickets in his first two matches.
Zimbabwe captain Brandon Taylor expressed pleasure and satisfaction in Vitori and the bowl attack following his feat saying he is a hungry cricketer.

“It is an amazing start. He (Vitori) is a new world-record holder. He is a great guy to work with, a very hungry cricketer.
“Credit must go to the (Zimbabwe) bowlers. We didn’t give them many opportunities to score. Bowlers stuck to their guns after they got hit for boundaries.
“I remember in 2005 we were 2-0 up and then lost 3-2, and we’re not expecting a series win straight away. We know they will try to bounce back but we have to be a step ahead.”
This is not something that easily comes and shows how dangerous the 21-year-old seamer is and he definitely is the man the world will be eagerly watching today.

On Friday he ripped through the Bangladesh top order and on Sunday he did the same thing in a wonder performance with the ball to retain figures of 5-19.
Zimbabwe has as a team that put up a balanced performance with both the bat and the ball and good choices at the toss have paid for the Zimbabwe captain Brandon Taylor in conditions they have found favourable.

Vusimuzi Sibanda has been good with the bat as well having steered Zimbabwe to their first win of the series after he posted a mature 96 and exhibiting a developed batting form.
And on Sunday he also justified his inclusion into the side when he was the top scorer with a comfortable 68 while Tatenda Taibu scored an unbeaten 61 in a winning partnership with Craig Ervine who also had an unbeaten 8.

Zimbabwe have surely overpowered their opposition in all the three departments of the game putting up a composed act with the bat while the bowling has been vicious to bring victory within sight.
Zimbabwe have it all.
With Vitori on top of his game, spinner Prosper Utseya making life tough for the tourists to get runs a top order that can defend their wickets and a mid order capable of getting a victory.

But life has not been easy for Bangladesh who are yet to tin a game in this tour having lost all including the warm up, Test and the past two ODIs.
A defeat today would spell doom for the sub-continent side who have found the going getting tough with each passing game and obviously, they are hoping for a win today.
If they manage to get that win, then the series would still be open but this is something Zimbabwe would not want to hear of at the moment.

“Tuesday (today) is a massive game. If we lose here it is 2-1 and Bangladesh have a chance to get back in the series.
“We’ll go away tomorrow and regroup in a team meeting. There are not too many things we’re concerned about. We will stay humble and when it comes game time, we want to be a hundred percent up for it,” added Taylor.

The Bangladesh opening batsman have not been able to do the job forcing the lower batsmen to get the runs for them and this has forced Bangladesh into costly mistakes in the previous games.
Conditions at the Harare Sports Club have throughout this series remained favourable for batting, but something is continuously going wrong in their defence.
Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh captain is aware that his openers have not given his side a start they would have wanted as they are failing to get the runs.

“We didn’t perform well at all, especially our top five batsmen. Nobody scored runs. When you’re playing an ODI game and the top five are not scoring any runs, it is hard for the team to come back and put a good total on the board.

It has nothing to do with their technique, but their mindset.”
“Zimbabwe is bowling well there’s no doubt. But we are capable of handling this bowling. We will show how tough we are, if we can bounce back, otherwise we are not tough enough. We are not too soft to give up so easily,” said Shakib.

Shakib hopes that debutante Nasir Hossain who made 63 at number eight will put up an equally good performance today with support from the rest of his side.
“He played very well, given it was his first game, nomarlly there’s pressure in that situation because when he got to bat we were 58 for 6. He played a good innings from that position. I hope he contributes (consistently), it was a special innings.”