By Mohammad Isam in Sylhet

HAVING been set 321 to win, Bangladesh were unscathed in the last 10.1 overs of the third day against Zimbabwe in Sylhet.

Liton Das and Imrul Kayes took out 26 from that target before bad light caused play to be called off 35 minutes before the scheduled end at 5:00 pm local time.

Imrul and Liton were largely safe at the crease, with only the odd play and miss. They remained unbeaten on 12 and 14 respectively.

The off-spinner Sikandar Raza produced a close call when he struck Liton’s front pad in what turned out to be the last ball of the day. But a review showed it would have spun too much to miss the right-hander’s leg-stump.

Bangladesh were brought back into the game by their spinners, chiefly, Taijul Islam, who took 5 for 62, to finish 11 for 170 in the match, his first 10-for. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 181 in the second innings with Mehidy Hasan and Nazmul Islam also providing support with three and two wickets each.

Taijul first removed Brendon Taylor, whose four boundaries added energy to Zimbabwe’s innings in the morning, after Mehidy broke Brian Chari’s off stump in the first session.

In the second session, Mehidy trapped Hamilton Masakadza lbw trying a reverse sweep, and soon afterwards, Taijul got three wickets in the space of 11 balls. Sean Williams, Peter Moor and Sikandar Raza fell in quick succession, after which Wellington Masakadza and Regis Chakabva stretched out their seventh-wicket stand by 19.1 overs.

Masakadza fell in the first over after tea before Nazmul Islam got the wickets of Chakabva and Brandon Mavuta in the same over. Taijul rounded off the Zimbabwe innings with his fifth, taking the wicket of Tendai Chatara. (ESPN Cricinfo)

ZIMBABWE first innings 282, Bangladesh first innings 143

Zimbabwe 2nd innings
Hamilton Masakadza lbw Mehedi Hasan 48
Brian Chari b Mehedi Hasan 4
Brendan Taylor c Imrul Kayes b Taijul Islam 24
Sean Williams b Taijul Islam 20
Sikandar Raza b Taijul Islam 25
Peter Moor c Liton Das b Taijul Islam 0
Regis Chakabva c Mahmudullah b Nazmul Islam 20
Wellington Masakadza lbw Mehedi Hasan 17
Brandon Mavuta c Ariful Haque b Nazmul Islam 6
Kyle Jarvis Not Out 1
Tendai Chatara lbw Taijul Islam 8
Extras 4b 4lb 0nb 0pen 0w 8
Total (65.4 overs) 181 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-19 Chari, 2-47 Taylor, 3-101 Masakadza, 4-121 Williams, 5-121 Moor, 6-130 Butt, 7-165 Masakadza, 8-172 Chakabva, 9-173 Mavuta, 10-181 Chatara

Bowling Taijul Islam 28.4-8– 62-5,Nazmul Islam 6-1-27-2,
Abu Jayed 7-1-25-0, Mehedi Hasan 19 -7-48-3, Mahmudullah 4-1-7 -0,
Mominul Haque 1-0- 4-0.

BANGLADESH 2nd innings
Liton Das Not Out 14
Imrul Kayes Not Out 12
Extras 0b 0lb 0nb 0pen 0w 0
Total (10.1 overs) 26-0

Bowling: Kyle Jarvis 5 -2 -11-0, Tendai Chatara 5 1 15 0 3.00
Sikandar Raza 0.1 0 0 0 0.00