Zimbabwe upset Bangladesh to stay in T20 series

Bangladesh tightened their grip on the four-match T20 series against Zimbabwe, securing a comfortable 42-run win in the second game on Sunday.

Chasing the target, Bangladesh couldn’t do much as the Zimbabwe bowlers did a wonderful job defending their total.

Zimbabwe got off to a rapid start, thanks to stand-in captain Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda before Shakib Al Hasan (3 for 32) helped Bangladesh claw back halfway through the middle.

Waller displayed a destructive innings, smashing 49 while Sibanda added 44.

Graeme Cremer starred with the ball and Zimbabwe’s batsmen found some form to beat Bangladesh by 31 runs despite a 50 from the in-form Sabbir Rahman on Wednesday. Masakadza also got going after a slow start, and hammered Mohammad Shahid, another debutant, for four consecutive fours before falling for 20 when he eyed a fifth one.

As the run-rate hovered around 16 run per over by then, Nurul Hasan (30 off 17) and debutant Muktar Ali (19 off 15 balls) could only delay the inevitable defeat.

Shakib (3/32) took out Sibanda as his 400th worldwide wicket.

He combined for 74-runs stand with Sean Williams to take the side to a dominant position.

He led an onslaught with two boundaries and four huge sixes before falling to Shakib.

Williams who made 32 off 26, was dismissed to give Haider the maiden wicket.

With Sabbir in an aggressive mood, Sarkar’s dismissal hardly bothered Bangladesh.

The fourth and final game will be played at the same venue on January 22. Sabbir mirrored Masakadza by dispatching three straight fours in the sixth over that hauled their run rate over nine per over.

However, Cremer ended Sarkar’s knock before Sikandar Raza (2-7) made the crucial Zimbabwe breakthrough with a shorter ball that Sabbir pulled to backward square leg with Muzarabani eventually grasping the ball.

Cremer returned figures 3-18.