Zimbabwe v Bangladesh - Twenty20 Triangular Series – Match recap – Masakadza, Mpofu star in Zimbabwe’s 11-run win
A fluent half-century by Player of the Match http://www.senore.com/Cricket/H-Masakadza-c1517, followed by an intense bowling attack in which Chris Mpofu’s 2 for 20 played a pivotal role, enabled Zimbabwe to secure an 11-run win over Bangladesh in the opening match of the ongoing Twenty20
Triangular Series on June 17 at the Harare Sports Club.
The hosts got off to a strong start after winning the toss and electing to bat on what proved to be a fairly dry surface. Masakadza (62 off 35) made an immediate statement, and his 47-run opening stand with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/V-Sibanda-c2740 (7) got their team off to a steady
start. However, the partnership came to an end with the dismissal of Sibanda in the 7th over – stumped by Mushfiqur Rahim off Elias Sunny.
Masakadza powered on, this time accompanied by skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BRM-Taylor-c1200 (38), and the two joined forces to contribute 44 runs to the total, bringing the score up to 91. Zimbabwe suffered a major setback in the 12th over, with Masakadza run out by Mushfiqur
Rahim, and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Nasir-Hossain-c77146 on duck.
He was succeeded by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/S-Matsikenyeri-c2395, who chipped in with a useful 18, in addition to setting up a 39-run stand with Taylor. However, the Rhodesians were unable to recover from the loss of Masakadza, and after Taylor’s dismissal at the hands of Mashrafe
Mortaza in the 19th over, only a few minor contributions from the remainder of the batting order enabled the home team to work their way up to a total of 154 by the end of 20 overs.
Bangladesh’s new recruit, 19-year old http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Abul-Hasan-c41857, remained the highest wicket-taker on his side. After having conceded 16 runs in the 6th over (including three boundaries), he compensated for his maiden over by picking up 2 wickets in the death
– Matsikenyeri was clean-bowled by a well-timed yorker in the 18th over, while http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AG-Cremer-c947 was dismissed for 11 in the very last over.
Bangladesh stepped up to the crease to chase 155, but the host team’s bowling attack found themselves up to the challenge of defending the total posted by their batsmen.
The visitors opened their innings with Tamim Iqbal (38) and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/P-Utseya-c2145 intervening
to break up the opening partnership, and sending Ashraful back to the pavilion, after he stepped out of his crease to play a shot, only to find himself stumped by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Taylor-c92915.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mushfiqur-Rahim-c2045 was next up to bat, but only managed a 5-run contribution before the uncapped Richard Muzhange,
famed for his deadly yorkers in the domestic circuit, sent him back to the pavilion in the 15th over.
Having accumulated 23 off 22, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ziaur-Rahman-c98624 appeared to be a growing threat to the Rhodesians, and Mpofu made up for having dropped him in the 13th over by sending him back to the pavilion in the 16th over, with Ervine having taken a
superb diving catch at deep mid-wicket.
By this point, the tourists were at 99 for 4, with four overs left and 56 runs required. A 5th wicket 37-run partnership between Mahmudullah (14) and Nasir Hossain (29) offered the flagging batting order some respite, but it was not enough to
bring them up to the target, and following http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mahmudullah-c1877’s dismissal at the hands of Jarvis in the very last over, the Tigers finished at 143 by the end of their 20 overs.
While their victory will grant http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 on June 20, Bangladesh will need to regroup and bounce back from their disappointing defeat in order to have a chance at besting the Proteas in their next match
on June 19.
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