A record century from opener Tamim Iqbal helped Bangladesh clinch the three ODI series against Zimbabwe 2-0 after the second match at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium yesterday, despite a valiant effort from the visitors.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Tigers posted 322/8 on the back of Tamim’s blistering 158 off 136 balls – the highest individual score in an ODI by a Bangladesh cricketer. The left hander had gone into the match facing significant criticism for a cautious approach to batting, and answered his critics by beating the record he himself had set against the same opposition at Bulawayo in 2009.
Chasing the mammoth total may have seemed like a stiff ask after Zimbabwe capitulated for 152 in the first game of the ODI series, but four Zimbabwe batsmen hit half centuries as they fell agonizingly short.
Bangladesh got off to a decent start with the openers adding 38 runs to the board before Liton Das, the centurion from the first match, departed on nine from a run out in the seventh over. Najmul Hossain Shanto departed in similar fashion 23 balls later, but this did little to slow Tamim as he put up an 87-run stand with Mushfiqur Rahim for the third wicket.
Tamim scored 49 off 38 deliveries, including 10 boundaries, in the first 10 overs of the innings before reaching his first half century in seven matches off 42 balls. Mushfiq then departed after scoring 55 off 50 balls, bringing in new batsman Mahmudullah.
Tamim continued to march on and when he got to 84, the batsman from Chittagong became the first to score 7,000 ODI runs for Bangladesh. He brought up his 12th ODI century off 106 deliveries, before Mahmudullah departed on 41.
After reaching the century mark, Tamim raised the tempo further and took only 24 more deliveries to reach his 150, before he was finally caught out on the boundary after scoring 158. A late cameo from Mohammad Mithun (32 off 18 balls) took Bangladesh to a total that seemed easy to defend.
However, Zimbabwe refused to keel over without resistance and nearly broke their seven year ODI losing streak against Bangladesh before falling four runs short.
Out of the six bowlers used by Bangladesh, four conceded more than 50 runs. Pacer Al Amin Hossain suffered the most from the Zimbabwe onslaught, conceding 85 runs in his 10 overs for just one wicket.
After half centuries from opener Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Wesley Madhevere and Sikandar Raza had set a good platform, Donald Tiripano blasted a 28-ball 55 at the tail to take them within one shot of victory. Needing 20 runs off the last over bowled by Al Amin, Tiripano hit consecutive sixes on the third and fourth deliveries to leave them needing a six off the last two balls.
However, the last two deliveries yielded only a single and Bangladesh narrowly escaped defeat.
Scorecard:
Bangladesh Innings (50 overs maximum)
BATSMEN R B
Tamim Iqbal c Mutombodzi b Mumba 158 136
Liton Das run out (Mumba) 9 14
Najmul Hossain Shanto run out (Taylor/Madhevere) 6 10
Mushfiqur Rahim c Mutombodzi b Madhevere 55 50
Mahmudullah c Madhevere b Tshuma 41 57
Mohammad Mithun not out 32 18
Mehidy Hasan Miraz b Mumba 5 6
Mashrafe Mortaza c Sikandar Raza b Tiripano 1 4
Taijul Islam c Mutombodzi b Tiripano 0 1
Shafiul Islam not out 5 5
Extras 10 (lb 2, nb 1, w 7)
TOTAL 322/8 (50 Overs, RR: 6.44)
Fall of wickets: 1-38 (Liton Das, 6.3 ov), 2-65 (Najmul Hossain Shanto, 10.2 ov), 3-152 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 25.4 ov), 4-258 (Mahmudullah, 42.4 ov), 5-292 (Tamim Iqbal, 45.4 ov), 6-307 (Mehidy Hasan, 47.2 ov), 7-310 (Mashrafe Mortaza, 48.2 ov), 8-311 (Taijul Islam, 48.4 ov)
BOWLING
Mumba 10-0-64-2, Tshuma 5-0-35-1, Tiripano 8-0-55-2, Madhevere 7-0-38-1, Sikandar Raza 10-0 -59-0, Williams 7-0-35-0, Mutombodzi 3-0-34-0
Zimbabwe Innings (target: 323 runs from 50 overs)
BATSMEN R B
Kamunhukamwe b Taijul 51 70
Chakabva c Liton b Shafiul 2 5
Taylor run out (Mehidy) 11 21
SC Williams lbw b Mehidy 14 24
Madhevere lbw b Taijul 52 57
Raza c Mahmudullah b Mashrafe 66 57
Mutumbami lbw b Taijul 19 17
Mutombodzi c Liton b Al-Amin 34 21
Tiripano not out 55 28
Mumba not out 0 0
Extras 14 (lb 6, w 8)
TOTAL 318/8 (50 Overs, RR: 6.36)
Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Chakabva, 3.1 ov), 2-44 (Taylor, 9.3 ov), 3-67 (Williams, 15.6 ov), 4-102 (Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, 23.4 ov), 5-183 (Madhevere, 36.2 ov), 6-213 (Mutumbami, 40.6 ov), 7-225 (Raza, 41.5 ov), 8-305 (Mutombodzi, 49.2 ov)
BOWLING
Mashrafe 10-0-52-1, Shafiul 9-0-76-1, Mehidy 7-0-25-1, Al-Amin 10-0-85-1, Taijul 10-0-52-3, Mahmudullah 4-0-22-0
Bangladesh won by 4 runs
MoM: Tamim Iqbal
