Zimbabwe (20 for 2) trail Bangladesh (107 all out; T Friend 5-31) by 87 runs
Scorecard

The first day of Test cricket's Battle of the Basement between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe at Dhaka was reduced by rain to just over two sessions – but there was still time for 12 wickets to fall. Bangladesh, put in to bat after rain had wiped out most of the first session, were knocked over for 107, before Zimbabwe had a wobble of their own, closing on 20 for 2.

Destroyer-in-chief for the Zims was 20-year-old seamer Travis Friend, who returned a career-best 5 for 31 as Bangladesh collapsed to 53 for 8. But the last two wickets doubled the score, and took them past their lowest total in Tests – 90, in the last match they played, against Sri Lanka in Colombo two months ago.

No. 10 Enamul Haque top-scored with 24 not out, closely followed by Mr Extras with 22. Only two others – Aminul Islam (12) and captain Naimur Rahman (13) – reached double figures. The critics who have argued that Bangladesh's elevation to Test status was premature will be looking smug today.

Bangladesh didn't actually lose a wicket until the 11th over of the match, but at that stage the openers had added only six runs. Friend trapped Al-Sahariar lbw for a 50-minute 4, then had Habibul Bashar caught behind first ball. Aminul survived the hat-trick delivery, but three overs later it was 14 for 3 when the other opener, Javed Omar, was bowled by Heath Streak for 3. It had taken him more than an hour.

Henry Olonga joined in the fun as Mohammad Ashraful, who in September became Test cricket's youngest centurion, was caught by Craig Wishart for 0 (13 for 4). Debutant Khaled Mahmud became Friend's third victim for 6 (28 for 5), before Olonga got Aminul leg-before for 12 (35 for 6).

It was 46 for 7 when Friend bowled Naimur for 13, and he picked up his fifth wicket when wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud was caught by Stuart Carlisle for 6 (53 for 8). The tail launched a desperate fightback. Mashrafe Mortaza, another debutant, hung on for 45 minutes before Streak had him caught behind for 8 (76 for 9). Then Enamul and last man Manjurul Islam lifted the innings boundary-count from four to nine. But Olonga nipped the rebellion in the bud by dismissing Manjurul for 9 to finish with 3 for 18.

There was still time for Bangladesh to strike back. Trevor Gripper fell to his second delivery, the fourth ball of the innings, caught by Javed Omar off left-armer Manjurul for 0 (3 for 0). And seven balls later Manjurul won a leg-before shout against Dion Ebrahim for 3 (4 for 2). Stuart Carlisle and Grant Flower clung on grimly for the final three-quarters of an hour.

If Bangladesh can break that stand first thing tomorrow, and then get Andy Flower early, Brian Murphy may have to wait for his first win as a Test captain.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com

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