BANGLADESH restored some pride having already lost the series after cruising to a six-wicket win in the fourth one-day international against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
Opener Tamim Iqbal top-scored with 61 as Bangladesh, who were 3-0 down in the five-match series coming into this clash, chased down their victory target of 200 with more than 13 overs to spare. Earlier, Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor scored 106 at the top of the order but only three more of his team-mates got into double figures as the home team were dismissed for 199 after suffering a late-order collapse.
Rubel Hossain finished with figures of four for 31 off his nine overs for Bangladesh, who claimed the final six Zimbabwe wickets for just 16 runs.
The victory was Bangladesh’s first on tour having also lost their one-off Test against Zimbabwe and a warm-up match.
Taylor and Vusi Sibanda (18) had put on an opening stand of 40 for Zimbabwe before Bangladesh, having won the toss and opted to field, fought back to reduce their hosts to 89 for four.
Taylor then joined forces with Elton Chigumbura (31) and they looked to be batting Zimbabwe into a good position as they put on 94 runs for the fifth wicket.
However, the dismissals of Chigumbura and Taylor, who had struck seven fours and a six in recording his fourth ODI century, in the same Hossain over sparked a collapse that saw Zimbabwe, having been 183 for four, fail to reach 200.
Bangladesh were rarely in trouble in their reply after Imrul Kayes gave them a flying start, clubbing three fours and two sixes in a quick-fire cameo. He fell for a 20-ball 28, but Zimbabwe struggled to rein in their opponents with all top six batsman making contributions.
The home side will have sensed an opportunity when they dismissed Iqbal, who had struck nine fours in his half-century, and Tuesday’s centurion Mushfiqur Rahim (16) in quick succession to leave Bangladesh on 129 for four in 24th over.
However, visiting captain Shakib Al Hasan (39 not out) and Shuvagoto Hom (35 n.o.) shared in an unbroken 74-run stand to take Bangladesh past the winning line with room to spare. (PA Sport)