Reza lifts Tigers to terms

A debut half-century from Farhad Reza helped Bangladesh to level the series in the second ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare.

The Tigers were, as in yesterday’s opening game, reduced to early peril as Ed Rainsford, Blessing Mahwire and Tawanda Mupariwa made the best of the early movement to pick up five wickets inside the first twenty overs, despite Aftab Ahmed’s entertaining – if somewhat kamikaze – 40 from just 24 balls.

Nevertheless, Reza and Khaled Mashud were unperturbed and the debutant scored with determination and composure before Rainsford closed his innings on a round fifty. Lower-order cameo contributions from Mohammad Rafique and Mashrafe Mortaza helped Mashud to chip and chivvy the innings onwards to 238 – as yesterday not bad, but not good either.

The Tigers struck early in the hosts’s reply, Shahadat Hossain starring as Zimbabwe slipped to 83 for five. This united Stuart Matsikenyeri and Elton Chigumbura, yesterday’s heroes, but today the Bangladeshi left-arm spinners Rafique and Abdur Razzaq were far more parsimonious. Their 18 overs cost just 52 runs as they squeezed the life from the run-chase. Both batsmen fell as they looked to up the tempo, and the tail was far short of completing the task as they were dismissed for 176 with 32 balls to spare. The third match of the series is on Tuesday at the same venue.

Bangladesh 238
Farhad Reza 50, Khaled Mashud 48*
Blessing Mahwire 3-29, Tawanda Mupariwa 2-44

Zimbabwe 176
Stuart Matsikenyeri 46, Vusimuzi Sibanda 33
Shahadat Hossain 3-41, Mohammad Rafique 2-24

Bangladesh won by 62 runs

5-ODI Series level 1-1 with three matches to play

Cricket Web Player of the Match
Farhad Reza (Bangladesh)