3rd ODI: Bangladesh v Zimbabwe at Dhaka, 26 Nov 2001 Shahryar Khan |
Pre-game:
Bangladesh innings: Zimbabwe innings: |
Ebrahim slashed Sharif to the deep extra cover fence to push their total to 16 in the 4th over. Sharif and Mashrafe were trying to create pressure on the openers pitching ball at tight length keeping a steady line side by side. The recognized hard-hitter Grant Flower was holding himself away from taking any sort of risky venture only to allow his partner take strike and score runs rather quickly.
Ebrahim hammered his 4th boundary that past the bower rapidly to the fence. After over 10, Zimbabwe piled up 46 runs without damage. Flower was bating at 10 and Ebrahim 29. He continued his run feast by slashing a couple of boundaries more. The duo was placing the ball at different directions to propel the scoreboard.
At drinks Zimbabwe gathered 68 for no loss.
Mahmud drove the last ball off Streak obviously trying to lift over extra cover, but Carlisle took a spectacular catch running away from deep extra cover to let Bangladesh struggling at 176 for 7. Streak got his thirds wicket. Fahim Muntasir’s three-ball innings saw its end when Grant Flower comfortably took a return catch off his own bowling. Bangladesh lost their 8th wicket at 176.
Enamul was to go next while trying to take a cheeky single became run out. Bangladesh lost their ninth wicket at 186. Mashrafe and Sharif took some quick runs to propel their team to two hundred. Mashrafe slammed Marillier for a welcome boundary that saw Bangladesh reached 200 for 9.
The last wicket partnership summed up 29 runs to take Bangladesh to 215 all out after 48.1 overs.
Al-Sahariar whacked another four off Ervine, his fifth one in the innings, lifting the ball high over long-on that dropped little short of the rope. He was 28. Both batsmen had some problems in running-between-the-wicket, but they stayed alive due to a couple of Zimbabwean misfielding. Al-Sahariar had to jump in to his crease for a couple of occasions to get rid of run-out chances.
Javed needed a single to get his 4th half-century in ODI and he got his cutting Ervine to backward point. A good knock from him that embraced 6 boundaries and his mate on the other hand made 36. The partnership added hundred runs when Belim square cut the first ball off Paul Strang and took three runs.
The first wicket fell off the same over as Paul Strang deceived Belim and bowled him cleanly. The short batsman played 77 balls to make his 54. Bangladesh 103 for 1.
Little Ashraful and Al-Sahariar made some quick runs pushing the ball lightly through gaps. The diminutive wonder-boy slashed two clever boundaries off Marillier and Strang to gain the momentum. Al-Sahariar was nine short of his second ODI fifty at that time. He found it easy to cope with Ashraful while they were going for runs. He reached 47 steering Paul Strang to deep point boundary. Runs were coming with ease.
Marillier clean bowled an impatient Ashraful when he tried to play the leggie across the bat and missed it. Bangladesh lost the second wicket at 132. Al-Sahariar’s 50 came as he cut Marillier to deep fine leg for a single. He faced 83 balls to do that.
Marillier bowled an inform Habibul Bashar for 5 only to dismiss the 3rd Bangladeshi wicket. The successful batsman attempted to play Marillier down the wicket only to miss the line of the ball that went into his stumps sharply.
Grant Flower dispatched Al-Sahariar who offered a high catch, which Paul Strang took comfortably. He made 59 and played 97 balls during his 139-minute stay. At drinks Bangladesh were 156 for 4.
His partner Javed Belim got the second four of the day just pushing Streak hard through long-off region. He sent the fourth ball through third-man to get another. Bangladesh 18 without loss after 5.
Friend and Streak are two most dangerous bowlers, who must be dealt carefully, especially in the first ten overs. They have pace, bounce and lateral movement. Al-Sahariar hit his second four off Friend as the ball went past the long-off fast.
Javed got a lucky survival in the 10th over off Friend when the nicked a ball that fell short of Wishart standing at first slip. The ball went past the fielder to the rope and a blessed boundary for Bangladesh! Belim struck once again hammering Friend through cover and point to find another four. After 12 overs Bangladesh gathered 44 for none.
Al-Sahariar drove a slower delivery off Olonga that raced straight to fence and with that Bangladesh reached fifty. Belim struck Ervine, the change bowler, through cover for his 5th boundary. Belim steered Olonga in the following over through deep gully to obtain his sixth four. He was batting 37 and Al-Sahariar 19. Bangladesh were 67 without loss at drinks.
Mohammad Sharif is back in the squad again and Hasibul is dropped. Left-arm seam bowler Manjurul is not playing today. Fahim Muntasir, the offie who played the 1st ODI replaces him.
Zimbabwe went for a couple of changes – Paul Strang and Henry Olonga are playing.
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Date-stamped : 26 Nov2001 - 18:42