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Bangladesh win at last

Thursday, March 11 2004

Bangladesh have beaten Zimbabwe by eight runs to end a five-year drought after winning their last one-dayer during the 1999 World Cup against Pakistan.

Zimbabwe won the toss and sent Bangladesh into bat and they tasted early success in sending Alok Kapali back for 9 and Shahriar Hossain for 2. At 20/2 Bangladesh were in real trouble.

Habibul Bashar and Rajin Saleh then came together and they started to form the partnership Bangladesh so desperately needed. They brought up the Bangladesh hundred in the 28th over and even though the run rate was slow they kept wickets in hand.

The partnership was broken with the score at 134 with Grant Flower capturing the wicket of Habibul Bashar for 61.

Small but quick fire partnerships then occurred in the final overs with Mohammad Ashraful being the aggressor making 51 not out from only 32 balls and seeing Bangladesh through to 238/7 from 50 overs.

Zimbabwe started badly losing the experienced Grant Flower for two in the 4th over.

Rodgers and Carlisle then started to put together the partnership Habibul Bashar and Rajin Saleh had done for Bangladesh but just as Zimbabwe were getting on top four wickets fell in the space of only 19 runs and Zimbabwe slumped to 5/140 from 30 overs.

With some good batsman remaining Zimbabwe still had a chance but when Tapash Baisya dismissed Heath Streak for 30 Zimbabwe's hopes went with him and they finished eight runs short in a very disappointing loss at home.

Score Summary

Bangladesh 238/7 (Habibul Bashar 61, Rajin Saleh 57, Mohammad Ashraful 51*, G Flower 1/24, H Streak 1/34)

Zimbabwe 230/9 (S Carlisle 71, B Rogers 51, H Streak 30, Tareq Aziz 3/38, Mohammad Rafique 2/33)

Bangladesh won by 8 runs

Posted by James