Tigers lift series 3-1
Tamim Iqbal’s six-hitting spree gave Bangladesh a fine finish to the year, the Tigers clinching the five-match one-day series against Zimbabwe 3-1 through a six-wicket win yesterday at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
It was the fourth successive series win — and seventh overall — against the African opponents as the home team also won a second consecutive ODI series in the space of three months.
“We have played some good cricket this year. We didn’t win games against the big teams in the early part of the year, but our continuous improvement helped in the end,” said captain Shakib Al Hasan during the post-match press conference.
“There still are more areas of improvement. From a personal and the team’s point of view, the year has really ended on the right note,” he added.
After Zimbabwe had stuttered to 188-6 in 50 overs on a slow track, Tamim was the focus of all attention as he eased back among the runs.
The left-handed opener’s 95 off 96 balls had five boundaries and seven sixes, breaking his own Bangladesh record of six sixes in an innings, that too was against Zimbabwe last year. He also overtook Mashrafe Bin Mortaza as the man with the most ODI sixes for the Tigers, and equaled the highest number of sixes in an innings hit in this country.
A cautious start made sure man-of-the-match Tamim was set for some big ones and he launched his array with a forehand smash over long-off, following it up with a slogged sweep off part-timer Brendan Taylor. Twice he lofted leg-spinner Graeme Cremer over long-on and hit another on one knee, slogging over mid-wicket.
Keith Dabengwa, the left-arm spinner, also bore the brunt of the local boy’s bat, twice being hit for sixes, but after Tamim had entered the nineties through the second one off Dabengwa, nerves got the better of him as on the next ball, he miscued one to deep mid-wicket and was out caught by Hamilton Masakadza.
The left-hander shared a 133-run second wicket stand with Junaed Siddiqui, who rode his luck to score an unbeaten 56. Tamim too survived an early life when Chris Mpofu dropped him when he was on 24.
Before Tamim had made it a backyard affair, batting seemed to be a tough job for the visitors who took 24 overs to reach 50 runs, incidentally through their first boundary.
Tatenda Taibu, who hit that first four, salvaged the Zimbabwe innings through a 95-run fourth wicket stand with Craig Ervine. Taibu made 64 off 104 balls with a four and a six while left-handed Ervine struck 46 off 100 balls.
It was Mashrafe’s first seven overs that essentially kept the visitors in check, the paceman picking up two for 25 in the end. Shakib took three wickets for 58.
The No 1 all-rounder of the world won a motorcycle for his all-round performance but it was the highest wicket-taker in the series, Abdur Razzak, who won the man-of-the-series award.
