Price helps Zimbabwe prevail in a low scoring thriller by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Event:

Zimbabwe in Bangladesh 2008/09

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DateLine: 19th January 2009

 

Once again Bangladesh could not hold their nerves in the final passages of the game and failed to find the right bowler to bowl at the depth. If it was Rubel Hossain who messed it up in the dying moments of the final then here it was Nazmul Hossain who bowled too full for Price to help Zimbabwe cross the winning line. For Price it was a match to remember as he recorded his best figures in the bowling department and also kept his cool while batting to guide his side to a win when they were reduced to 44 for 6. For Bangladesh the batting once again let them down, some poor shot selection led to their demise, as it has done in past. A lot of hard work remains for them in the batting department. The bowlers did very well but just never had enough runs to play with.

 

Under cloudy skies, Ashraful oddly had little hesitation in batting, and 48.1 overs later he was left embarrassed after Bangladesh folded for their third-lowest total against Zimbabwe.

 

Zimbabwe's medium-pacers set the tone with a frugal opening spell and the spinners, especially Ray Price, made a meal of Bangladesh's brittle order. Bangladesh made a terribly slow start to their innings against a disciplined attack, and a series of needless shots made it far worse. Subtle movement from Ed Rainsford consumed Junaid Siddique who was adjudged lbw in front of the stumps. Ashraful promoted himself to No. 3, but made just 4 from 18 balls. Masakadza kept every delivery up to Tamim, on and around off stump, and after being beaten once the batsman feathered a thin edge to Tatenda Taibu.

 

Shakib Al Hasan, on whom Bangladesh have relied heavily in recent times, pulled his third delivery for six over midwicket but then settled down. Raqibul Hasan had showed some spark, hitting six pleasing boundaries. After taking two consecutive boundaries off Price's first over, he played back to the last ball and hit a return catch to the bowler. Price struck again in his second over, drawing a cramped cut from Shakib to Elton Chigumbura at backward gully, who fumbled thrice before holding on to the top edge. Price remained very e3ffective with Prosper Utseya and Keith Dabengwa offered tidy support.

 

A 34-run stand - the best of the innings - followed to raise hopes of a resurrection, but an utterly needles reverse-sweep from Mahmudullah crushed such notions. In the next over, Mushfiqur Rahim was castled. The rest was simple - Mashrafe Mortaza lofted straight to long-on, Nazmul Hossain swung and missed, and Naeem Islam also fell slogging wildly.

 

Taibu opened the innings with Masakadza and he looked aggressive from the word go. Masakadza was undone by a perfect outswinger from Mortaza as he was snapped at the first slip. More success followed when Mortaza then ripped Taibu opened by castling him with another perfect indipper and Bangladesh could sense some opening in the match. Matsikenyeri was cleaned up in the next over by Shakib was brought on by Ashraful for just one over. Ashraful realising that taking wickets is the only way to blunt the chase of Zimbabwe continued with Mortaza at one end while he rotated the other bowlers at the other end. Zimbabwean batsman realised that by playing out the fifty overs they were in a chance to close out the game provided they had wickets in hand. Mortaza charged in enthusiastically looking for wickets while others bowled a containing line and length. Shakib was introduced again in the 14th over and he again provided the breakthrough when he had Williams edging to Junaid Siddique at the slips. Mortaza then removed Chigumbura for a 27 ball duck before finishing his quota in the first 20 overs. Shakib still continued with his golden arm while removing Dabengwa in the 20th over to place Zimbabwe in a real spot of bother at 44 for 6.

 

Mahmudullah then got into the act by removing Waller who was looking set for a big innings. With the wicket of Utseya at 92 win was looking were distant for Zimbabwe and Bangladeshi fielders had an extra spring in their steps. Shakib was amazing in his spell as he finished off his quota with a mesmerizing figures that read 10-4-11-3. Price meanwhile in the company of Mupariwa nudged around to take them within 10 runs to victory in 12 balls. Rubel was asked to bowl the penultimate over and this time was able to keep the batsman quiet and gave away just 4 runs. In the final over Zimbabwe needed 6 runs to win which Price duly achieved by reaching the boundary ropes twice in the first to balls as he remained unbeaten on 24.