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Zimbabwe finish the job

Tuesday, February 24 2004

Zimbabwe recorded their first Test victory of the year despite gritty resistance from Bangladesh at the Harare Sports Club to go 1-0 up in the 2-Test Series.

Resuming at 24-5, Bangladesh's lowest ever total of 89 in Test Cricket was within range, but determined resistance from the lower order prevented embarrasment.

First Rajin Saleh and debutant Manjural Islam Rana added 57 for the sixth wicket before Ray Price enticed Saleh (47) out of his ground for Tatenda Taibu to whip the bails off. Rana then took the initiative, taking his score onto 31 before Trevor Gripper caught him off Price.

Tapash Baisya and Mohammad Rafique then followed in quick succession, but wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud defied the Zimbabwean attack for another eleven overs to add a National Record 46 for the last wicket with Manjural Islam - beating the 43 that Islam and Rana had added in the First Innings.

Mashud went to his second Test fifty - a personal best 61 - before he fell in the same way as Saleh earlier as Price claimed his fourth wicket of the innings, to bowl out Bangladesh for 169, 183 runs short of Zimbabwe's total.

Meanwhile, hat-trick hero Andy Blignaut has been forced to pull out of next week's Second Test at Bulawayo with a thigh strain. Stuart Matsikenyeri replaces him in the squad.

Zimbabwe 442
SM Ervine 86, GM Ewing 71, HH Streak 68, DD Ebrahim 65, T Taibu 59, SV Carlisle 58
Mohammad Rafique 4-121, Mushfiqur Rahman 3-75, Tapash Baisya 3-133

Bangladesh 331
Mohammad Ashraful 98, Rajin Saleh 49, Shariar Hossain 48
HH Streak 4-44, DT Hondo 3-49

Zimbabwe 242-8 dec
SM Ervine 74, T Taibu 58

Bangladesh 169
Khaled Mashud 61, Rajin Saleh 47
RW Price 4-61, AM Blignaut 3-12

Zimbabwe won by 183 runs

Zimbabwe lead the 2-Test series 1-0

CricketWeb Man of the Match: Sean Ervine (Zimbabwe)

Posted by Neil