Enamul Haq and Mr. Extra are two Top Scorers

Heath Streak started his second spell just after Tea and he did not have to wait for long to get his second wicket. Mashrafe tried to pull the first ball of his over and missed it. Streak sent a bouncer at the leg, which Mashrafe attempted to pull, but the ball took a thin edge of the top of his bat and went to Andy Flower who seldom misses a chance like it. Mashrafe departed at 8. Bangladesh was nine down to score 84. Enamul Haq was playing the part of an anchorman at that stage. The southpaw was well supported by Manjurul Islam, the last man for Bangladesh, who has bad track of records as a batsman.

Enamul was keeping the strike as much as possible taking singles from the last ball of the over. Finally, it was Manjurul who drove Streak to deep point for a four and Bangladesh reached just hundred, the landmark that at one stage looked unattainable. The left-handed Manjurul could have gone many times, but he was lucky on every occasion. Lastly, Bryan Murphy decided to bring Olonga back to his second spell and it worked. Enamul stole a single from his first delivery that exposed Manjurul to face the dangerous Olonga. A splendid out swinger from Olonga forced Manjurul to play on his front foot; he tried to guide the ball through slips, but only got an edge to Gripper. That was the conclusive part of Bangladesh innings - the side was wrapped up for 107. Enamul top scored 24 and stayed unbeaten. Travis Friend was the most successful among the Zimbabwean bowlers as he captured a haul of 5 wickets giving away 31 runs only. There are 33 overs left for Zimbabwe to bat. Zimbabwe had a similar start like their opponents as they lost Trevor Gripper at the hands of Javed Omar off Manjurul Islam. Zimbabwe innings were at that stage only four balls older. Manjurul struck back in his second and the third over of the innings when he eliminated Dion Ebrahim by a hostile in swinger. The ball hit directly on the pad when Ebrahim endeavored to play it across the line. Zimbabwe was struggling at 4 for the loss of 2. Mashrafe and Manjurul were bowling at tight line and length allowing no room for the batsmen to go for shots. The younger of the Flower brothers, Grant, batted with patience with Stewart Carlisle at the other end. Carlisle steered the ball to the ropes off Mashrafe to score the first boundary for his side. Four welcome runs for Zimbabwe. Both batsmen avoided risky venture and batted defensively. Zimbabwe were 20 for 2 at the stumps with Carlisle batting with 10 and Grant Flower 6.

Friend Looked Unfriendly at BNS

Javed Omar flicked Friend towards deep fine leg and got two to open his account. This was the eighth over and the first after lunch. Bangladesh side were 5 without having any damage after nine overs. Streak and Friend were trying to squeeze out the favor they got from the pitch. Javed, who was unsteady at first at the off stump, was slowly finding himself.

Travis Friend trapped Al-Sahariar in front of his stumps for 4 when the board showed 6 as a Bangladeshi total. The next ball from Friend disappointed the spectators as Habibul Bashar, the owner of the most half centuries for Bangladesh, tried to drive a rising delivery only to offer a catch to wicket keeper Andy Flower. Bashar was on his stride for a duck during his one-ball stay and Friend was on his hat trick chance. However, the next batsman Aminul Islam sent the first ball he faced to deep fine leg and picked up a single.

While sensible batting was desired from our batsmen and while they desperately needed a partnership to pile up a respectable total, it was Streak to uproot the middle stump of Javed Omar by a vicious Yorker. Javed failed to fend off the hostile delivery and saw his stumps in mess. The side was reeling at 11 for 3.

At 13 Bangladesh lost their fourth wicket, the valuable one of prodigious Mohammed Ashraful. Henry Olonga replaced Friend and saw the success in his first over. Ashraful could not avoid a fast short pitcher from Olonga, which touched his gloves and went to the safe hands of Wishart. The centurion of Colombo, who tackled Murlitharan dexterously there, returned empty handed.

Khaled Mahmood, the debutant, joined Aminul Islam and Friend was brought on at the end where Streak was bowling. This change was welcomed by a boundary, the first one for Bangladesh featured by Aminul Islam at third man. Aminul reached his double figure. When they were looking set, Mahmood got a nick to Trevor Gripper at third slip and became a catch to prolong the nightmarish beginning. It was Travis Friend's third removal as he played a splendid job to polish off the Bangladesh top-order. Aminul had nothing but to see a horrendous come-and-go. The scoreboard was showing a meager 30 for the loss of five vital wickets.

The horror continued as Aminul was next to go leaving his side at the brink of utmost disaster. Fearsome Olonga, who gathers pace and bounce from the surface, pitched a quicker one that hit Aminul's pad in front of his middle stump and the umpire did not hesitate to raise his finger. When Aminul departs with 12 in his bag, Bangladesh put up only 38 on the board.

Our squad saw its lowest total in the second innings of the inaugural Test against India, which was 91. Another one like that was looming at that stage when Khaled Masud came to the crease. Naimur's innings came to an end when Travis Friend mauled again, shuttering the Bangladeshi skipper's off stump in his second spell to have his forth victim in such a short period. Bangladesh was struggling with 49 for seven and new batsman Enamul Haq had little reputation as a batsman.

The succession of quick fall ran in regular intervals and this time Khaled Masud had to go. Friend sent a short pitcher, which kissed Masud's gloves to the fielder at first slip when the wretched batsman was on the back foot to evade it. Friend got his fifth one; he looked quite unplayable for the Bangladeshi batsmen and bowled superbly using his pace and bounce and also got some substantial movement from this alien track. Bangladesh was down to 56 for 8.

Enamul Haq and young Mashrafe-Bin-Mortaza put up some runs on the board to form a partnership of 28 runs, the highest for today. Before Tea Murphy received a bit of punishment from Enamul Haq, who hit subsequent boundaries in two of his deliveries; the crowd got at least some source to become cheerful. Before Tea Bangladesh was16 runs short of reaching the three-figure landmark.

The BNS ground in Dhaka is witnessing Bangladesh's second Test match at home against Zimbabwe. The match started 90 minutes late due to some overnight drizzle. The youthful Brian Murphy was lucky to win the toss in this rough weather; he sent his opponents to bat first on a moist wicket.

Though the track at BNS is regarded as a batting paradise, Javed Omar and Al-Sahariar looked uneasy against Heath Streak and Travis Friend. It was expected that Streak would create some problems and he did in his very first over. Streak sent down a short-pitched ball as his first delivery which struck Javed Omar on his gloves. The next five deliveries were right on the off-stump, swinging away from Javed to the keeper.

The first run came from Al-Sahariar's bat when he gently pushed Travis Friend to midwicket in the sixth over. Al-Sahariar angled Steak down to deep midwicket to get two in the following over. At lunch, Bangladesh were three for no loss, though, the way Streak and Friend bowled, they could do damage at any moment. Javed remains on nought, and all three runs came from Al-Sahariar's willow.

Murphy's decision speaks in his favor as his pacers reeled the Bangladeshi pair at the start. All Bangladesh need is to keep a cool head and bat watchfully and sensibly, leaving the odd ball out side the off stump.

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