Bangladesh manage to survive Zimbabwe scare in fourth T20I

|| CF DESK ||

Returning all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan claimed 4-35 to help Bangladesh recover from a batting collapse and beat Zimbabwe by five runs in Friday's fourth Twenty20 international in Dhaka. 

Mustafizur Rahman chipped in with 3-19, helping the home side bowl out Zimbabwe for 138 runs in 19.4 overs. 

Replying to a modest 143, Zimbabwe lost opener Brian Bennett for a duck in the first over and were quickly reduced to 57-4. 

But they remained in contention after a middle-order rally, with Johnathan Campbell and Ryan Burl putting on a 35-run stand.

Mustafizur forced Burl to give a catch to Soumya Sarkar after making 19 runs, and Shakib took the wicket of Campbell for 31 to put Bangladesh on top.

Wellington Masakadza played hit 19 runs from eight balls to take Zimbabwe close, only to go off the strike in the final over when Zimbabwe needed 14.

Shakib, who was playing his first T20I in nearly a year, dismissed Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava in the final over to wrap up the Zimbabwe innings. 

Earlier, Tigers implode after solid start, get bundled out for 143. After a blistering start by openers Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Soumya Sarkar (41 off 34), who amassed a formidable 101-run partnership, with Tanzid notching up his second T20I fifty in just 34 balls, the momentum swiftly shifted in favor of Zimbabwe.

Seamer Luke Jongwe initiated the turnaround by claiming the crucial wickets of both openers in the 12th over, while skipper Sikandar Raza further dented Bangladesh's progress by dismissing in-form batsman Towhid Hridoy in the subsequent over.

The collapse ensued as wickets tumbled in quick succession, with only Tanzid, Soumya, and Hridoy managing to reach double-digit scores.

Off-spinner Brian Bennet capitalized on the crumbling batting lineup, snaring two key wickets in the 15th over, including the prized scalp of Shakib Al Hasan and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.

Pacer Richard Ngarava joined the onslaught by dismissing Jaker Ali, while Jongwe returned to the attack to claim the dismissal of Rishad Hossain, who was earlier involved in a runout that ended Taskin Ahmed's innings.

Jongwe emerged as the standout performer with three crucial wickets, while Ngarava and Bennet provided valuable support with two scalps each, as Zimbabwe tightened their grip on the match with an impressive bowling display.