Bangladesh finish tour on high by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
Scorecard:	Zimbabwe v Bangladesh
Player:	BRM Taylor, Mushfiqur Rahim, Dolar Mahmud
Event:	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe 2009

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DateLine: 18th August 2009

 

Mushfiqur Rahim and Dolar Mahmud combined to help Bangladesh finish the Zimbabwe tour on high as Bangladesh defeated hosts Zimbabwe comfortably by five wickets. Mushfiqur missed out on his maiden ODI ton by a whisker while Dolar Mahmud recorded his career-best figures 4-28 as the duo help sink Zimbabwe. For Zimbabwe Brendan Taylor top-scored with a defiant innings of 61 runs off 86 balls.

 

Mahmud made his presence felt in the early stages off the match when he cleaned up Sibanda in the weirdest circumstance. Sibanda danced down the track and seeing him advance Mahmud slipped one down the legs, Sibanda left the ball calculating that the ball will travel past the unguarded leg stump. But to his horror the ball cannoned onto the leg stump cart wheeling it a few paces to start Zimbabwe’s slide.

 

Charles Coventry, who hit an unbeaten 194 on Sunday to equal the highest ever One-Day International score, was out for a duck when he got a thick outside-edge off Mahmud and was caught by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim.

 

Masakadza was the next wicket to fall after adding 25 runs before being run out by Ashraful following a mix-up with Waller, who himself didn't last long before Mahmud bowled him with a beautiful inswinger. Rasel then trapped Williams in front before Chigumbura went the same way to Mahmud to reduce the hosts to 65-5.

 

Skipper Utseya, added 54 runs with Taylor for the seventh wicket off 86 balls, before the former misjudged the length of the ball. Utseya went for the pull but the ball kept low and crashed onto his stumps. Price joined Taylor and the duo put on 53 for the eighth wicket before Taylor was out lbw to a Mehrab Hossain.

 

Chasing a modest 210 to win, Bangladesh did not face any trouble as their batsmen chipped away at the target with ease. The Zimbabwean bowlers could not replicate the swing and cut that Mahmud was able to generate as the pitch had eased out considerably.

 

A surprisingly quiet Iqbal and a restless Ashraful departed quickly but Rahim was undeterred by the loss off those wickets as he collected his runs. Raqibul Hasan gave him valuable support as the duo added 51 in 13.2 overs and then skipper Shakib al Hasan then combined forces with Rahim to add 70 runs in 13 overs.

 

Rahim was eyeing his maiden century and he was extremely close, when he decided to go for the glory shot and got stumped in the process. Mahmudullah and Naeem then took their team past the required target.