||Desk Report||

Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have locked horns with each other in the first clash of their three-match ODI series.

Winning the toss Bangladesh decided to bat first at the Sher-e-Bangla International Stadium. Their struggle to get good starts with the bat once again haunted them, as the Tigers lost two early wickets. They again suffered a collapse in their batting lineup and became 139/6 before opener Imrul Kayes and Mohammad Saifuddin rescued the hosts with the team’s highest seventh wicket ODI stand worth 127 runs.

Imrul picked up his third ODI century and Saifuddin also belted a fifty as Bangladesh posted a score of 271/8.

In reply, Zimbabwe were off to a flying start before Mustafizur Rahman earned the breakthrough for his side by uprooting Cephas Zhuwao’s off stump for 35 runs. The visitors then kept losing wickets at regular intervals once the Bangladesh bowlers established their grip on the match.

Both Brandon Taylor (5) and Sikandar Raza (7) fell cheaply as Nazmul Islam struck twice. Hamilton Masakadza and Craig Ervine made 20-odd runs each before returning to the pavilion, posing no threat to the opponents.

Sean Williams and Peter Moor shared a 45-run stand in an attempt to close in on the target. Mehidy, who previously dismissed Ervine, trapped Moor lbw for 26 runs in the 36th over. He then produced a run out in the next over to send the new batsman, Donald Tripiano, back to the hut.

Bangladesh are now looking to scalp the remaining wickets while also keeping the run rate in check. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, cannot afford to lose any wicket at this stage if they want to finish the game on a winning note.

 

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