adminZimbabwe A – 303 all out in 76.5 overs (Joylord Gumbie 70, Peter Moor 62, Hamilton Masakadza 50) Mohammad Shahid 2/42, Shuvagata Hom 2/45, Saqlain Sajib 2/70, Abu Jayed 2/106
Bangladesh A – 274 for 4 in 71.5 overs (Tasamul Haque 96*, Shuvagata Hom 92) Donald Tiripano 3/74
DESPITE a hostile spell by paceman Donald Tiripano, Zimbabwe A had the worse of the second day’s play of their unofficial Test match against Bangladesh A at Harare Sports Club.
Tasamul Haque and Shuvagata Hom shared a large partnership to lead a recovery for the tourists, and with a score of 246 runs for four wickets in reply to 303, Bangladesh A are slightly in a better position going into the third day.
Zimbabwe A resumed on their overnight score of 248 for eight, with Joylord Gumbie on 44 runs and Donald Tiripano yet to score.
They added 57 runs in just over 10 overs, but Tiripano, on 24, became a little too confident and drove over a yorker from Saqlain Sajib to be bowled for 27 off 30 balls.
The last pair brought up the 300, but at 303, Gumbie drove an easy catch to mid-off and the innings was over. Gumbie scored 70 off 86 balls.
Although they found little assistance from the pitch, the Zimbabwe seamers did a good job as they denied the Bangladesh A openers Tasamul Haque and Rony Talukdar safe scoring knocks.
Talukdar went for nine with the score on 21 as he tried to pull a ball from Tiripano outside the off stump, but only succeeded in skying it for a catch in the covers. By lunch, the score was 49 for one after 20 overs, with Haque on 25, and Mohammad Mithun 11.
Mithun, a scourge of Zimbabwe A in the one-day matches, did not do well this time as he flashed at a Tiripano delivery just outside the off stump and was caught for 23. Two balls later Tiripano yorked the new man Naeem Islam and Bangladesh A were 67 for three.
It was a fine spell of pace bowling from the Mountaineers all-rounder, who gave away runs rather readily but produced many testing deliveries.
After tea, the batsmen continued to take toll of a now tiring attack and added 148 before Hom, on 93, unaccountably swung across the line to a full toss from Ryan Burl and was trapped leg before wicket.
This brought in Mosaddek Hossain, who has a career batting average of 74 from just 14 matches. The scoring rate began to drop and the light deteriorated. The umpires suspended play at 4:30PM with Bangladesh A on 246 for four wickets, Tasamul on 92 and Hossain 21.
Play resumed for half an hour after light improved and this proved detrimental to Zimbabwe A as the batsmen took the score to 274 for four at the close of play and only 29 runs behind the hosts. Haque was just four runs short of a century and Hossain will resume on 44. — ZC
Online Reporter