Bangladesh-Zimbabwe series
Bangladesh clinch second T20I comfortably against Zimbabwe
|| CF DESK ||
Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe comfortably by six wickets in the second of a five-match T20I series against Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Sunday.
The hosts eased their way to 142-4 in 18.3 overs, defying rain and some inspirational bowling from Zimbabwe after restricting the visitors to 138-7.
Bangladesh seemed to be coasting when opener Litton Das (23) and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (16) took them to 56-1 before rain intervened for the second time in their innings to halt the momentum.
Luke Jongwe (2–35) dismissed Najmul and Litton in the next over after the rain break to put Bangladesh under some pressure, which increased following Jaker Ali's dismissal by Richard Ngarava for 13.
But Towhid Hridoy top-scored with 37, and 38-year-old Mahmudullah Riyad, 26 not out, put on 49 runs for the fifth wicket to prevent a further slide and deny Zimbabwe.
Earlier, Zimbabwe batter Jonathan Campbell played a pivotal role for early stage recovery, scoring a quick 45 off just 24 balls, including three sixes and four boundaries.
This power-packed innings helped Zimbabwe reach 128 for seven.
Campbell, who was dropped on just one run in the 11th over by Bangladesh wicketkeeper Jaker Ali Anik, forged a crucial 73-run partnership with Brian Bennet.
Bennet's contribution was equally impressive, as he hit 44 off 29 balls, with three sixes and two fours. This partnership proved to be a turning point after the visitors found themselves struggling at 45 for five after 11 overs.
Among the Bangladeshi bowlers, pacer Taskin Ahmed and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain stood out with two wickets each, while Mohammad Saifuddin, Sheikh Mahedi Hasan, and Shoriful Islam claimed one wicket apiece.
Despite their efforts, the momentum created by Campbell and Bennet's partnership allowed Zimbabwe to set a respectable target.