Shakib Al Hasan produced a Man of the Match performance as Bangladesh knocked Zimbabwe down by 34 runs to draw the two-match Twenty20 series at the Queens Sports Club ground in Bulawayo on Sunday.
Winning the toss Bangladesh chose to bat first. Tamim Iqbal and Shakib lifted the side to a modest total of 168 runs losing seven wickets.
Tamim hit six fours and a six to score the best 43 off 30 while Shakib’s 40 came from 28 deliveries with the help of six fours and a six.
Shakib, who also earned the Man of the Series prize, starred again with the ball during the hosts’ chase of 169. His haul of 4-22 sent Zimbabwe crashing to 134 for nine in 20 overs.
Bangladesh lost Shamsur Rahman off the fourth ball of the first over after he had scored just two runs.
Shamsur was out trying a slog sweep off Prosper Utseya but was easily taken by the deep midwicket fielder.
But Tamim and Shakib took the score from 4-1 to 86-2 in the ninth over when leg-break bowler Natsai Mushangwe ended the threatening second-wicket stand having Shakib taken at deep square leg.
Bangladesh were going along nicely until they lost three vital wickets — skipper Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah — to slump to 126-5 after 15 overs.
Then there was brief recovery before Zimbabwe hit back with a double-wicket success three overs later.
Mominul Haque and Nasir rejoined their team-mates in the dressing room after first Mominul was bowled by Brian Vitori (9) and then off the last ball of the 18th over Nasir was run out for 27.
Coming out to chase Zimbabwe lost Hamilton Masakadza in the second over. He was on two when Abdur Razzak bowled him out in a tossed up delivery that swung to break the off stump.
Brendan Taylor (15) was trapped with a leading edge off a flighted delivery from Shakib that went high up in the only to be gobbled up by Nasir Hossain.
Shafiul Islam struck the third blow. Vusi Sibanda’s shot seemed to be a big one but Mahmudullah at long-on grabbed the ball quite comfortably. Sibanda managed three fours and a six for his 32 off 19.
Sean Williams (16) was run out from a brilliant throw from Robiul Islam. Razzak grabbed his second wicket when Malcolm Waller (10) tried to cut a flighted delivery but ended up giving a catch to Mominul Haque.
Shakib sent back Sikandar Raza. A flighted delivery on the middle deflected off the pads and hit the stump. Two sixes was the boundary count for his 32-run innings.
Shakib was on target twice in the nineteenth over. Shingi Masakadza (9) gave a catch to Nasir and Mshangwe was out bowled for a duck.
Shafiul Islam sent back Prosper Utseya (6) with five balls remaining of the innings. The last partnership added only two to finish their innings on 134 for nine.
Bangladesh, who lost the first match by six runs on Saturday, made two changes to squad and recalled left-handed batsman Mominul and gave pacer Robiul Islam his debut while all-rounder Ziaur Rahman and Sajidul Islam were left out.
This is only their third meeting in this format. Bangladesh beat their opponents by 43 runs in Khulna in their inaugural Twenty20 match back in Nov 2006.
Previously, Bangladesh have won only eight and suffered 21 losses out of their 29 Twenty20 matches since 2006.
Source: bdnews24
