Shakib blows Zim away

Rampant Shakib Al Hasan led from the front with an aggressive hundred as the Tigers continued their recent remarkable success with a 49-run victory in the second ODI of the five-match series against Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club ground in Bulawayo yesterday.
They extended the lead to 2-0 through a strong batting display, which saw Bangladesh score their highest ODI total, from Shakib and opener Tamim Iqbal, who showed little patience to score back-to-back half-centuries to lay the platform for his captain. Shakib simply put the Zimbabwe attack to the sword on way to his third one-day hundred.
The win also brought about Bangladesh’s seventh victory in a row.
The young left-hander, Shakib, took over the baton from Mohammad Ashraful, who scripted the eight-wicket victory with a hundred in the first game, to hit the fastest ODI hundred for Bangladesh as the Tigers amassed their highest ODI total of 320 for eight after being sent into bat on an easy-paced surface. Bangladesh’s previous best score was 301-7 against Kenya at Bogra in 2006.
In chase of the mammoth target, Charles Coventry and Sean Williams hit half-centuries after Syed Rasel’s double strike to test the Tigers, but their efforts were not good enough to cause an upset as the home team were dismissed for 271 runs in 46.1 overs.
As usually Shakib’s spin troubled the Zimbabwe batsmen most as he captured two wickets while pacer Nazmul Hossain and left-arm spinner Enamul Haque also picked up two wickets each to make sure the Zimbabweans lose wickets at regular intervals.
It was however Shakib’s batting which hogged the spotlight on the day as the left-hander came up with the typically go-getting knock when the Bangladesh innings lacked momentum against the disciplined bowling by the Zimbabweans.
The 22-year-old stand-in skipper, who took over the reign from injured Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, started carefully, milking singles to settle down in the middle and then went for the kill. During his stormy 64-ball 104, the left-hander smote nine fours and four sixes. In the process he bettered Alok Kapali’s mark of 86-ball century by reaching three figures in just 63 balls.
Shakib played quite a few hits over extra cover and a few more to the straight boundary and many swings to midwicket region. He however was a bit lucky as he was also aided by some poor fielding effort.
But credit must go to the Tigers openers Tamim and Zunaed Siddiqui who added 71 runs in 15.1 overs to set the tone.
Zunaed was dismissed for 27 but Tamim completed his second half-century and made 79 runs off 105 balls with five fours and a six before falling victim to an unfortunate run out.
The Tigers will go for the series victory on August 14 at the same venue when they play the third match of the five-match series.

Courtesy of The Daily Star