BANGLADESH defeat Zimbabwe by five wickets to clinch the third T20I and the series as they chased the highest T20I total at Harare Sports Club.
With the series victory, Bangladesh made it a clean sweep across all three formats on their tour of Zimbabwe. Chasing 194 for victory, this was the highest T20I total to be chased down at Harare Sports Club.
Bangladesh started solidly with openers Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Naim scoring rapidly in the first two overs before Blessing Muzarabani removed Naim in the third over for three runs when Luke Jongwe caught him at mid-off.
Shakib Al Hasan joined Soumya, and the pair scored 50 runs for the second wicket from just 30 balls as they tried to match what Zimbabwe did when they were batting.
Shakib, who had already bludgeoned Jongwe for two sixes in his over, tried to hit series as they chased the highest ever T20I total at Harare Sports Club him for another six but could only find the safe pair hands of substitute fielder Tarisai Musakanda at long-off.
Zimbabwe started believing again, but they continued to ball short and conceding extras, and if they have to look at where they lost the match, Zimbabwe will have to look at the extras column where they conceded 18 runs.
Soumya, who top-scored with 68 from 49 balls for the visitors, was again dismissed as he tried to go after Jongwe and was caught at long-off by Musakanda.
Just as Bangladesh were cruising, Sikandar Raza brought back his premier bowler in the 15th over, hunting for wickets. He showed why he is rated worldwide as he only conceded two runs in that over to leave the Tigers requiring 52 runs from 30 balls.
Wellington Masakadza bowled the 16th over and took a wicket but conceded 12 runs in that over. The match was going down to the wire.
Raza’s captaincy can be questioned when he gave the 18th over to the 19-year-old Dion Myers, who is in the team primarily as a batter. He started well by conceding three runs in his first three deliveries but was hit for three fours in his last three balls to concede 15 runs in that over.
Muzarabani bowled the penultimate over of Bangladesh’s innings, with the visitors needing 13 runs from 12 balls. The momentum had shifted. He tried his best by taking the wicket of Mahmudullah, but it was a little too late, conceding just eight runs.
Raza tossed the ball to Masakadza to try and defend five runs, but Shamim saw his team home with five wickets in hand.
Zimbabwe had let another opportunity slip through their fingers.
The Chevrons backed Tadiwanashe Marumani to open with Wessley Madhevere, and the pair started like a house on fire as they put on 50 runs in 26 balls. Marumi looked like the old Marumani, the one who takes the attack on the opposition.
Madhevere showed that he could pack a punch in the fifth over when he took Taskin Ahmed to the cleaners.
The first ball was an off-cutter that gripped a little and was hit for four via deep Square boundary.
The second ball was short of a length, and Madhevere pulled it away to the midwicket boundary for another four.
The third ball of that over Madhevere presented the full face of the bat and drove it uppishly as it paced down the ground for four.
Madhevere was not finished yet as he pulled Taskin again to the midwicket boundary for another four.
The fifth ball was pulled on the front foot for four to make it 20 runs from five balls. Madhevere missed out on the final ball to push boundaries out of six. Zimbabwe would have scored 24 runs in 6 balls.
Marumi chopped on after scoring 27 runs from 20 balls but had given his teammates to follow a good launching pad.
The inform Regis Chakabva came in at number three and straight away was in zone continuing from where Marumani had left.
The 11th over was time for Chakabva to go after Nasum Ahmed. He clobbered the third ball of Nasum over deep midwicket for six, and the ball was lost.
A new ball was brought it, and it suffered the same as the previous ball as Chakabva clobbered it again, but this time over long on for Six and the ball was lost again.
Chakabva relaunched Nasum over deep midwicket for another Six, and the ball was briefly lost but was later retrieved before the beginning of the next over.
It had to take a brilliant catch by Shamim to dismiss Chakabva, Naim fielding at deep midwicket took a brilliant catch, but he was over the boundary and had the presence of mind to flick it back with Shamim well positioned to complete the catch.
Madhevere got to his second T20I half-century of the series from just 31 balls which included six boundaries.
Just as Zimbabwe were looking at getting to a score of 200, Madhevere was dismissed for 54. Captain Raza did not trouble the scorers as he was dismissed for his second duck of the series.
Ryan Burl muscled his way to a 15-ball 31, which helped Zimbabwe get to 193 for five in their 20 overs.
