Regis Chakabva struck a century to set up a 17-run win for Zimbabwe A team as the visitors drew the first blood in the three-match one-day series against the Bangladesh A team at Fatullah on Sunday. Opting to bat first, Zimbabwe A, who lost the preceding unofficial Test series 2-0, assembled 253-6 before Bangladesh A were dismissed for 236 runs with three balls to play. Test cricketer Chakabva set the tune for Zimbabwe A innings with 132 off 144 balls with skipper Vusimuji Sibanda providing some late impetus scoring an innings 67-ball 52.
Chakabva, who hit 13 fours and three sixes, shared 83-runs with Brian Cheri in the opening stand before occasional left-arm spinner Mominul Haque trapped Cheri , 35, leg-before to earn Bangladesh A their first breakthrough.
Replying to Zimbabwe A’s total, Bangladesh A received a jolt early in their innings when they
lost first three wickets for just 36 runs as Shahriar Nafees, Marshall Ayub and Mominul Haque
all departed for an identical score of two.
Soumya Sarker steadied the innings with 56 runs and Naeem Islam added 66 to bring the innings back on track. However, they were unable to maintain the desired run rate putting the team under some pressure.
Left-arm spinner Elias Sunny hit 42 off 30 balls with five fours and a six but that was not enough. All-rounder Mosaddek Hossain was the last man out with 49 runs.
Tafadzwa Kamungozi ripped through Bangladesh A team’s
batting line-up to return with 4-24 while Tawanda Mupariwa claimed 3-41.
Bangladesh A suffered a setback when left-arm pacer Abul Hassan left the field injured after bowling just 2.5 overs. Hasan, who was making a comeback to competitive cricket after a year and a half, complained of a neck injury that denied him further chance of bowling.
Hassan however batted and
hit a six in the first ball he faced before he was dismissed in the next ball.
Team manager Minhajul Abedin said Hassan’s injury was nothing serious and he can return to the field in full rhythm during the third match of the series.
‘At the moment the physiotherapist said that he will observe the player for 24 hours. Hopefully he will be okay before the third match,’ said Abedin, adding that the injury has no connection with his back problem that kept him out of cricket for a long period.
The second one-dayer of the series will be held on September 30 at the same venue.
-With New Age input
