|| CF Correspondent ||
Mahmudullah Riyad hammered an incredible 41 ball-62 as Bangladesh racked up a respectable 175-7 against Zimbabwe in their third match of the Tri-nation T20 series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Wednesday.
This is Bangladesh’s highest score against Zimbabwe, surpassing their 168-7 Bulawayo in 2013.
A victory in the match would confirm Bangladesh and Afghanistan’s spot in the final as Zimbabwe, who also lost the first two matches, will be eliminated from the race straightway.

For the first time in the series, Bangladesh, however, didn’t lose any wicket before crossing 40 runs mark. In fact the new opening pair, Liton Das and Nazmul Hossain Shanto, one of the T20 debutants, combined for 49 runs in just 4.5 overs to give the side a solid platform.
But as has been the case, Bangladesh lost wickets in cluster when one wicket was fallen.

The partnership was broken with the dismissal of Shanto who made 11, on his debut while Liton Das, who was at his aggressive best, clattering 38 off 22 with four fours and twos sixes, followed Shanto just one over later, leaving Bangladesh at 55-2.
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan continues his poor tournament, being dismissed on 10 before Mushfiqur Rahim and  Mahmudullah Riyad brought the side back in contention, sharing 78 runs for the fourth wicket.

As it looked Mushfiqur would count his start, he once again squandered his good work by playing a sweep shot. Mushfiqur made 32 off 26.
But Riyad was unstoppable as he guided the lower order to propel Bangladesh to a position where they desired to reach. Mahmudullah struck one four and five sixes, all of which came through by clean shot to blast his 62 off 41, his fourth fifty-plus knock in this format.

He was dismissed at the last over by a full toss delivery of Kyle Jervis but before then Bangladesh was in a good position.
Jervis claimed 3-32 in his four overs while Christopher Mpofu took 2-42

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Bangladesh earlier brought up three changes to the side that lost their last match to Afghanistan and also handed debut two players in top-order batsman Nazmul Hossain Shanto, leg-spinning all-rounder Aminul Islam Biplob. The other player who made it to the squad is Shafiul Islam who returned to the T20 fold after two years. To accommodate them, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar and Taijul Islam. Soumya, however, was not in the squad for the third and fourth match of this tournament.